In the turbulent heart of Sudan, the UN human rights chief Volker Türk has condemned alarming details surfacing from Khartoum, where extrajudicial killings by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) seem to have surged amid the fierce battle for the capital. Reports indicate that civilians, accused of collaborating with rival forces, fell victim to widespread summary executions. Türk emphasized the moral imperative for SAF commanders to urgently halt such human rights violations, underscoring their gravity and the need for accountability among both perpetrators and their commanders.
A surge of distressing video evidence, shared on social media, has captured chilling scenes of armed individuals executing unarmed civilians, purportedly as a punishment against supporters of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These videos, revealing a grim reality in southern and eastern Khartoum, evoked horror in Türk, who profoundly denounced these acts as heinous.
As the crisis deepens, Türk reiterated that such extrajudicial killings breach international laws and must not go unpunished. Describing the ongoing plight, he highlighted that Sudan has spiralled into chaos after the collapse of the transition to civilian governance post-Omar al-Bashir’s ousting in 2019. Türk, who has been advocating for the Sudanese people since his appraisal of the region in November 2022, has engaged with rival military leaders, aiming for a possible resolution amidst the turmoil.
Highlighting an approaching humanitarian disaster, Türk warned that over 600,000 individuals teeter on the brink of starvation, exacerbated by nearly two years of conflict. The crisis is particularly dire in regions such as Zamzam displacement camp, where the UN World Food Programme had to pause critical operations due to ongoing violence. With famine looming in more areas, urgent action is necessary to avert catastrophe.
In a recent alert, the UN aid coordination office noted that violence in North Darfur has displaced an additional 250,000 individuals, creating a precarious situation for numerous families lacking basic necessities. As humanitarian partners address a hepatitis outbreak among displaced populations in Kassala state, conditions remain perilous due to overcrowding and inadequate healthcare.
The staggering number of 8.8 million displaced individuals highlights the increasing pressure on humanitarian efforts, while 30.4 million people in Sudan face grave shortages of food, healthcare, and support. Lastly, Türk remarked on an unsettling uptick in online hate speech inciting violence, particularly targeting ethnic groups from Darfur and Kordofan. He called upon the Sudanese authorities to conduct thorough investigations into these alarming trends.
UN rights chief Volker Türk condemned extrajudicial killings in Khartoum amid the ongoing crisis, citing credible reports of summary executions by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). He urged immediate actions to halt such violations, highlighted the horrific video evidence of killings, and called for accountability under international law. The humanitarian situation worsens with over 600,000 people at risk of starvation, and continuous violence displacing hundreds of thousands. Türk also noted the rise in hate speech online, urging independent investigations into these incidents.
In conclusion, the chaos in Sudan reveals a tragic spiral of extrajudicial killings, widespread humanitarian crises, and an alarming disregard for human rights. As the UN’s Volker Türk sheds light on this situation, he calls for urgent actions from military leaders and the need for accountability while highlighting the dire conditions millions face. With famine looming and violence displacing countless families, the need for international attention and intervention remains crucial to stave off further catastrophe.
Original Source: news.un.org
