UN Mission Reports War Crimes in Sudan, Calls for Immediate Intervention

The UN fact-finding mission has reported severe abuses by both sides in Sudan's civil war, which may amount to war crimes. It calls for peacekeepers and extended arms embargo to protect civilians. The report is based on 182 interviews and stresses urgent intervention due to failing civilian protections.

In a grim revelation, a UN-mandated mission reported on Friday that both sides in Sudan's civil war have committed atrocities that could be classified as war crimes. The mission urged global powers to send peacekeepers and expand an existing arms embargo to safeguard civilians.

The report details severe human rights abuses by Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including rape, torture, and arbitrary arrests. Based on 182 interviews with survivors, witnesses, and relatives, the findings underscore the urgent need for international intervention.

Mission chair Mohamed Chande Othman highlighted the gravity of the situation, calling for immediate action. Despite past denials from both factions, the mission insists on deploying an independent force. The conflict, which began in Khartoum last April, has already spread to 14 out of 18 of Sudan's states, causing significant civilian suffering including widespread famine and disease.

Despite documented atrocities like over 400 rapes in the first year of conflict, the actual toll is believed to be higher. The mission also reported the recruitment of child soldiers and abductions leading to sexual slavery, emphasizing the dire humanitarian crisis.

Efforts to engage with Sudanese authorities have been met with silence, while global calls for the mission's renewal face opposition from Sudan, labeling the conflict as an 'internal affair'.

(With inputs from agencies.)