UN special adviser urges swift action as Sudan atrocities mount

The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Chaloka Beyani, has warned that Sudan may be nearing a tipping point of atrocities amid mounting reports of widespread killings and attacks on civilians in El Fasher, according to Arab media reports.

Beyani cautioned that “some threshold is about to be crossed”, adding that “once our office sounds the alarm, the situation will go beyond normal violations of human rights or international humanitarian law.” He stressed that the scale of the atrocities demands swift action.

According to Beyani, there have been “massive violations of international human rights law” and “direct attacks on civilians” by warring parties in Darfur.

Late last month, reports and videos surfaced indicating that atrocities were allegedly committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Force after it seized control of El Fasher from government forces, ending a siege that had lasted more than 500 days.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher recently briefed the Security Council, stating that “the horror continues” in Darfur and warning that civilians remain trapped amid widespread violence.

Beyani’s office noted that several indicators of potential atrocities are now present in Sudan, although a determination of genocide can only be made by an international court.

Earlier this week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) expressed “deep concern”, announcing that it is gathering evidence of mass killings, rapes, and other atrocities allegedly committed in El Fasher.

By Tamilla Hasanova