15 April 2025
Today marks the end of two years of armed confrontations between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This devastating armed conflict caused immense loss of human lives and material damage of unprecedented proportions in Sudan’s history. Heinous atrocity crimes are being committed in total disregard to Sudan’s obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. Several hundred people lost their lives during direct combat or due to ethnically motivated targeted killings as well as attacks by military jets and heavy artillery against civilian targets, manmade famine and starvation, lack of medical care, agony or sheer fear. There are no signs of a peaceful solution in sight as SAF repeatedly frustrated all attempts for political negotiations and as such the death toll and the level of destruction of livelihoods are expected to multiply manifold without a robust external helping hand to end the ongoing conflict. It is our belief that this conflict, with its inevitable socio-economic and security repercussions across Sudan’s geographic confinements, is a threat to regional and international peace and security.
The RSF’s siege of El-Fasher and its massive attacks against Zamzam and Abu Shok camps that host hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and which caused a new wave of massive displacement and the killing of hundreds of civilians, including medical personnel, is the latest blatant violation of the 4th Geneva Convention of international humanitarian law. The military presence of the Joint Forces combatants in Zamzam camp, which was denounced by some 40 Sudanese organizations on 16 November 2024, cannot be used as a justification for such a brutal attack. The inhumane RSF siege of El-Fasher and the continuous shelling of the city put the lives of more than one million people at imminent risk of tragic death, starvation and human suffering.
Millions of Sudanese, especially victims of the military confrontations and targeted killings, look at the international community with great expectations. The high-level ministerial conference on Sudan to be held in London (Lancaster House) on Tuesday, 15 April 2025 is the last beacon of hope to save the lives of millions of vulnerable Sudanese women, children and the elderly. Time is precious to avoid the worst as a deadly famine is tightening its grip on millions of victims that are deliberately deprived of access to food. Hate speech and calls for ethnically motivated killings are in the rise in a volatile multiracial and multicultural country, which is a recipe for ethnic cleansing and genocide. The world is looking forward to the London conference to undertake proportionate action to meet the actual need on the ground, notably by ensuring the following:
- SAF and RSF should respect their commitment to uphold international humanitarian law under the Jeddah Declaration, notably by protecting civilians, agreeing to humanitarian ceasefire, allowing sustained humanitarian emergency response and enabling relief agencies timely delivery of lifesaving material by authorizing cross border relief operations etc.
- The RSF should heed the demands contained in UN Security Council’s resolution 2736(2024) of 13 June 2024 and immediately end its inhumane siege of El-Fasher and cease all attacks against the IDP camps in Darfur. It should hold accountable all commanders responsible for the recent attacks against civilians and medical personnel in Zamzam and Abu Shock camps.
- The African Union should scale up its intervention in Sudan by invoking Article 4(h) of its Constitutive Act which authorizes the Union to intervene in member states to end war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. It should lead international efforts to ease the humanitarian situation, pressure the parties to reach a negotiated settlement and to dispatch a military force to protect civilians without delay.
Signed:
1. Abwab Organization for Development and Social Peace, Kampala
2. African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, Banjul
3. African Organization for Rights and Development, Kampala
4. Al-Dar Women and Child Rights Development Foundation Limited, Kampala
5. Al-Fajr Organization for Peace, Development and Justice, Nairobi
6. Canabi Congress, Sudan
7. Darfur Initiative for Justice and Peace, Kampala
8. Darfur Victims Support Organization, Kampala
9. Democratic Monitor for Transparency and Rights, Kampala
10. Elaf Organisation for Peace and Community Development, Kampala
11. Human Rights Institute of South Africa, Johannesburg
12. Independent Commission for Human Rights in Norh Africa, Morocco
13. Justice, Rights and Development Organization, Nyala/Kampala
14. Kordofan Women’s Organization for Human Rights, Kampala
15. Mahd Al-Hikma for Development and Nonviolent Organization,
16. Nubatia Initiative for Sustainable Development, Kampala
17. Nubian Center for Peace and Democracy, Kampala
18. Organisation Afro Européenne de l’Action Humanitaire et de Développement, Paris
19. Peace and Human Dignity Organization, Kampala
20. Rise for Rights and Justice Centre, Australia
21. Sudan Knowledge Centre, Switzerland
22. Sudanese Initiative of Journalists for Peace and Democracy, Kampala
23. Sudanese Refugees Advocacy Group, Canberra, Australia
24. Sudanese Women Union, Khartoum/Nairobi
25. Taja Organization, Kampala
26. The Agricultural Workers Initiative for Rights and Development, Kampala
27. The Civic Organization for Advocacy and Support, Nairobi
28. Ubuntu Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Kampala
29. Vision Centre for Peace and Development, Kampala
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Abdelmageed Haroun at: haroun@aford.org, Tel/WhatsApp +256 7 62197 247