The Joint UN Human Rights Office’s mission report outlines severe violations of human rights and humanitarian law affecting Sudanese refugees in South Sudan. The report details targeted violence, forced displacement, and systematic abuses attributed to the ongoing conflict between SAF and RSF, highlighting urgent global attention and accountability.
This report outlines the findings from a monitoring mission conducted by the Joint UN Human Rights Office in Sudan, which took place in South Sudan from November 21 to November 30, 2023. The mission aimed to assess the human rights situation plaguing Sudanese refugees who have sought safety in South Sudan as hostilities have escalated within Sudan since April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The report reveals a concerning spectrum of human rights violations affecting civilians, including indiscriminate violence leading to deaths and injuries, targeted killings, and assaults on property, such as homes, schools, and healthcare institutions. Additionally, the report highlights instances of sexual violence, enforced disappearances, kidnapping, and the forced displacement of individuals due to the ongoing conflict. Civilians of different ethnic and political backgrounds have faced violence, underpinning the conflict’s complex dynamics. Approximately sixty-seven civilians, including men, women, and children, were reported killed, primarily in the Khartoum and Darfur regions.
Conducted under the framework established by the Host Country Agreement, signed between the Republic of Sudan and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in September 2019, the mission emphasizes the need for accountability regarding violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law. The severity of ongoing violence and systematic abuses indicates a failure by all involved parties to adhere to international legal standards governing armed conflict, highlighting a stark disregard for the principles of protection and humane treatment for civilians.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan, which escalated in mid-April 2023, involves intense hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. This instability has led to a significant refugee crisis, with many individuals fleeing to South Sudan seeking safety. The Joint United Nations Human Rights Office undertook a monitoring mission to gain insight into the human rights violations encountered by these refugees and the broader implications of the conflict on civilian safety and legal accountability.
The mission conducted by the Joint UN Human Rights Office underscores the urgent need for international attention to the deteriorating human rights situation stemming from the ongoing conflict in Sudan. With alarming reports of targeted violence, systematic abuses, and the plight of refugees, there is an unequivocal call for all parties to respect international laws. The findings reveal a state of lawlessness that compromises the protection of civilians, necessitating immediate intervention and support from the international community.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
