UN commission investigates war crimes in Sudan
Geneva (epd). A UN commission has begun its investigation into suspected war crimes in Sudan. Those responsible for crimes in the conflict between the army and militias must be held accountable, said the chairman of the UN commission, Mohamed Chande Othman, on Thursday in Geneva.
The Commission has already received reports of serious violations of international humanitarian law. Human rights activists such as Human Rights Watch accuse the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of massacres of civilians and other serious crimes. The army is also accused of crimes.
The UN Human Rights Council decided in October 2023 to establish the commission, which will submit reports to the body. The documents could be used in possible criminal trials.
In mid-April 2023, a power struggle between the RSF militia and the regular army escalated in Sudan. According to the UN, more than seven million people have fled the fighting. Thousands more were killed. The World Food Program estimates the number of acutely hungry people at 18 million. Around 46 million people live in the African country.