A UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) report has detailed systematic violence, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed during an 18-month siege of El Fasher in Sudan. The report, released following an investigation into the conflict, has prompted a strong condemnation from the Sudan Core Group, a coalition of foreign ministers from Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

Horrendous Conditions and Systematic Violence

The report describes the deliberate obstruction of food and humanitarian supply routes during the siege, leading to dire conditions where residents resorted to eating livestock feed to survive. Medical facilities and critical infrastructure were targeted, and civilians were trapped to prevent escape. The FFM found that the RSF, a powerful paramilitary group in Sudan, executed civilians throughout the city, turning El Fasher University and the El-Saudi Hospital into mass killing sites.

Witnesses described being told, ‘we will exterminate you,’ and of pregnant women being shot in their bellies. Civilians attempting to flee the city were massacred, and women and girls endured horrific sexual and gender-based violence, including gang rape. The report suggests that the violence was primarily directed at the Fur and Zaghawa communities, with the FFM concluding that the actions amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide.

International Condemnation and Calls for Accountability

The Sudan Core Group expressed profound sorrow and outrage at the findings, calling for urgent action to prevent further atrocities. The foreign ministers emphasized the need to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law, urging all states to consider the FFM’s recommendations. These include protecting civilians, expanding and enforcing the UN arms embargo, and ensuring unfettered humanitarian access and accountability mechanisms.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) and the High Commissioner for Human Rights have confirmed their initial assessments align with the FFM’s findings, indicating that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in El Fasher. The report warns that without effective prevention and accountability, ‘the risk of further genocidal violence remains acute.’

Call for Ceasefire and International Justice

The Sudan Core Group has called on the warring parties to agree to an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and to cease violations of international humanitarian law. They also urged the parties to provide full access to international justice mechanisms, including the ICC, to affected areas and populations. The report serves as a stark reminder of the scale and depravity of the atrocities committed, which ‘should shock the conscience of us all.’

In response to the report, the Sudan Core Group announced its intention to establish a coalition of like-minded states and regional institutions committed to preventing further atrocities in Sudan. The group stated that the victims of the conflict have ‘waited long enough’ for justice and support.

The FFM’s findings have been widely condemned as a call to action. The report highlights the need for international cooperation to ensure the protection of civilians and the pursuit of justice for the victims of the conflict. As the situation in Sudan remains volatile, the international community faces mounting pressure to respond effectively to the humanitarian and legal challenges posed by the ongoing crisis.