UN rights chief warns atrocities seen in Darfur must not be repeated in South Kordofan

The UN human rights chief has warned that "horrific violations" committed during the capture of El Fasher in Sudan's North Darfur "must under no circumstances be repeated" as fighting escalates in South Kordofan, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, Ravina Shamdasani said Volker Turk ended a five-day visit to Sudan on Sunday, during which he witnessed the impact of violence on displaced civilians, including at a site in Northern State sheltering around 20,000 people.

"The capture of El Fasher in late October was characterized by widespread summary executions, the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, dehumanizing treatment and abductions for ransom," Shamdasani said, describing an 18-month siege that deprived civilians of food, health care and basic services.

"The High Commissioner urged all parties to the conflict, including in a meeting with an RSF (Rapid Support Forces) delegation on Sunday, to ensure that the crimes committed during and after the takeover of El Fasher are not repeated in Kadugli, Dilling and the wider Kordofan region," she said.

The UN official added that reports suggest additional troops from RSF and allied SPLM-North are about 20 kilometers from besieged Kadugli, where famine conditions have been confirmed.

Shamdasani said over 25,000 people have been displaced across South Kordofan since late October amid "relentless military engagements, heavy shelling, drone bombardments and airstrikes."

Citing a report to the Security Council, she said the International Criminal Court assessed the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity around the fall of El Fasher. "This validates very much our own findings."

She said the human rights chief identified immediate measures that must be implemented, stressing that "safe passage must be ensured for civilians who leave areas of active conflict" and that civilians "must be protected from summary executions, sexual violence, reprisal attacks based on alleged 'collaboration,' arbitrary detention and abductions."

Turk also warned that, according to the spokesperson, "all parties have perpetrated gross violations and abuses of international human rights law," calling on those with influence, "notably those who supply the arms and benefit economically from this war," to act urgently to end the civil conflict running since April 2023.