Army massacres in Sudan
- Horrendous massacres in one month
- Extrajudicial executions
- Emirati humanitarian efforts in support of the Sudanese people
Only five days separate the war in Sudan, between the Army and the Rapid Support Forces, from reaching its second year with no sign of a solution in sight for the crises suffered by the Sudanese people.
During the war, atrocious violations have been committed against unarmed civilians, as documented by the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, the Sudanese National Observatory for Human Rights and local human rights organizations.
In the latest twist in the crisis, the Sudanese army command has filed a complaint against the United Arab Emirates at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, in a move that some observers see as an attempt to cover up the “war crimes” the army has committed since the outbreak of the crisis in mid-April 2023.
The former Sudanese Minister of Justice, Nasreddin Abdel Bari, criticized the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Al-Burhan, for accusing the Emirates of supporting a genocide. He described the action as a “hypocritical” step by an institution whose record on genocide should be taken into account.
He stated that, ” although the case has some new legal aspects, at its core it is purely politically motivated and lacks moral credibility, given the long history of war atrocities by the Sudanese army“, adding that the Army is now trying to ”present itself as a defender of human rights, in flagrant contradiction to its history”, with the aim of hiding its crimes and diverting attention from the violations and the continuation of the war.
For her part, Reem Al Ketbi, assistant undersecretary to the minister of political affairs at the UAE foreign ministry and the Emirates' representative at the International Court, declared that there is absolutely no truth in the accusations that the Emirates are fanning the conflict in Sudan. She stated that since the beginning of the war, the Emirates has not supplied arms to either side.
He added that Abu Dhabi has supported several mediation initiatives for both parties to assume their responsibilities under international law, maintaining the Emirates' position that the Court has no jurisdiction, although they respect international law.
He insisted on the need to end the obstruction of humanitarian aid and to stop the violations in Sudan to alleviate the suffering of more than 32 million people.
Horrendous massacres in one month
As the army advanced on Khartoum, atrocious massacres were committed against civilians in the space of just one month, leaving hundreds dead, starting in the Darfur region, according to a report in the New York Times.
The army carried out an air strike on a crowded market in a western region of the country, killing and injuring hundreds. Videos and images taken after the attack in Turra, a small town in North Darfur, showed dozens of charred bodies and human remains scattered across a large area of the market that was still burning, according to the same source.
The attack is one of many atrocities recorded in Darfur. The Witness Project of the Information Resilience Center, an NGO that documents war crimes, confirmed the geolocation of the videos in Turra. Satellite images and data from NASA's fire department confirmed that the affected area was about 10,000 m².
A Sudanese observation group reported dozens of deaths, and the US-based international organization Avaaz, citing local groups, estimated the death toll at over 200.
The report points to images showing several hotspots of burnt earth in the market, and multiple explosions. In a video recorded at the scene, an eyewitness claimed that four missiles hit the market: one in the center and three in the surrounding area.
Several witnesses claimed that the attack was aerial. The Rapid Support Forces do not have fighter planes, but the Army does, and has recently carried out similar attacks in the area, according to The New York Times.
The newspaper also pointed out that the army has frequently been accused of indiscriminate bombing in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, often causing dozens of deaths in a single attack. Most of these attacks have occurred in Darfur.
A few days later, the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees of Darfur (a civilian organisation) expressed its suspicions about the use of chemical weapons by the Army in recent air strikes on different areas of Darfur.
Spokesman Adam Regal stated in a Facebook post that: “before the wounds from the Turra bombing had healed, the Shangil Tobaya camps were attacked by two missiles launched by the Sudanese air force, causing serious injuries among the displaced and destroying infrastructure and homes”. He added: “The residents suffered symptoms of intoxication, and the missiles did not explode.” And he concluded: “The Sudanese army continues its cowardly attacks on civilians in atrocious and unjustifiable behavior, both day and night.”
Extrajudicial executions
Among the worst violations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed his horror at reports of widespread extrajudicial executions in Khartoum, following the army's recapture of the city on March 26.
He pointed out that extrajudicial executions are serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and that it is essential to hold both the perpetrators and those in command responsible for these acts, which are unacceptable under international criminal law.
The videos show armed men - some in military uniform, others in civilian clothes - executing civilians in cold blood in public places. In some clips, the perpetrators claim to be punishing supporters of the Rapid Support Forces. Reports attribute the executions to the Sudanese Armed Forces and members of the security services, as well as to militias and fighters linked to the army.
According to the statement, at least 20 civilians, including one woman, were killed in the southern area of Khartoum by the armed forces, militias and allied combatants.
Emirati humanitarian efforts in support of the Sudanese people
In the midst of a devastating war that has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and affected more than 30 million people, and in the face of the army's refusal to end the crisis, the interventions of the United Arab Emirates have become a beacon of hope for a people devastated by hunger and displacement.
In the last ten years, the Emirates has provided $3.5 billion in humanitarian aid to Sudan. Since the start of the war in April 2023, that figure has reached $600.4 million, including $200 million pledged at the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for the People of Sudan, held in Addis Ababa on February 14.
They also established a humanitarian airlift, through which they sent 162 planes loaded with medical, food and relief supplies.
By sea, the Emirates sent 6,000 tons of food aid and emergency aid for Sudanese refugees in Chad, 200 tons for refugees in Uganda and 300 tons for refugees in South Sudan.
In addition, it allocated $30 million for refugees in neighboring countries, and announced a contribution of $10.25 million to the United Nations to support Sudanese women affected by the crisis. It also signed an agreement with UNICEF to contribute $4 million to the education system for Sudanese refugees in Chad.
As part of its humanitarian efforts, the Emirates proposed a ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, but the Sudanese Army rejected the initiative.