Human rights violations rage on in Sudan, warns UN expert

January 22, 2023 (GENEVA) – Everything from basic human rights to the economy and the legal system have been decimated by the on-going war between rival militaries in Sudan, human rights expert appointed by the UN High Commissioner to monitor the country said on Monday.

Radhoune Noucier outlined what’s been happening on the ground as violence and displacement continue to ripple across the country following the outbreak of clashes between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.

According to the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA), out of 45 million people, more than 7 million have been displaced, with some seeking safety in neighbouring nations, and half the total population needs humanitarian assistance.

Latest figures from the UN agency indicate that more than 13,000 people have been killed and another 26,000 injured since the conflict began in mid-April last year.

The independent expert called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the impunity.

“In my view, impunity over decades in Sudan has been at the origin of all the abuses that we are witnessing today, despite the fact that many declarations were made by the fighting parties, establishing mechanisms and committees to go through these violations – or alleged violations – and to bring the perpetrators of these violations to justice,” he said.

The top human rights official outlined a number of violations of basic rights in Sudan, citing extrajudicial killing, indiscriminate shelling of private and public areas, unlawful detention, torture, beatings, looting of private and public properties, among other forms of abuses.

“Most alarming, we have seen and documented a number of gender-based violence cases, including sexual violence against women and girls,” he explained.

The judicial system, Noucier said, has been decimated, amid concerns that at least 19 million Sudanese children who are out of school, not to mention the massive displacement internally and externally.

“Over 7.6 million Sudanese were being forced out of their homes and their places of origin; 1.6 million of them have found shelter in the neighboring countries,” he observed.

Also highlighted was the state of Sudan’s economy, which has “immediately collapsed”.

“You may know that 46 per cent of Sudanese are unemployed today, that the Sudanese currency has seen inflation of 250 per cent over the last few months,” said the expert.

Nouicer, however, said the priority in Sudan is to stop impunity and to bring people who have committed crimes to justice, to national justice and if not, then international justice.

Nine months after conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary RSF, more than 7.3 million people have reportedly fled their homes, with children representing about half of the people displaced.

(ST)