{"id":53714,"date":"2023-11-15T11:42:14","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T16:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?p=53714"},"modified":"2023-11-15T11:43:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T16:43:00","slug":"global-ministries-signs-statement-take-immediate-action-on-sudan-or-be-complicit-in-future-atrocities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/global-ministries-signs-statement-take-immediate-action-on-sudan-or-be-complicit-in-future-atrocities\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Ministries Signs Statement – Take Immediate Action on Sudan or Be Complicit in Future Atrocities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today, on the 7-month anniversary since the outbreak of war, 50 Sudanese and international civil society groups, including Global Ministries, released a\u00a0statement<\/a> sounding the alarm on the risk of further atrocities in Sudan and calling for decisive action from international stakeholders.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conflict erupted on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and despite both parties attending peace talks in Jeddah, there are no signs of de-escalation. Sudanese civilians are paying the cost of this war as RSF and SAF continue to commit the most egregious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Over 10,000 people have been killed<\/a> with Khartoum and Darfur witnessing the most intense hostilities. More than six million<\/a> people have been forcibly displaced, half of them children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest round of talks in Jeddah, narrowly focused on achieving a cessation of hostilities and securing safe pathways for humanitarian access, failed to  achieve any ceasefire. Exacerbating the conflict, the UAE, the RSF\u2019s most prominent backer<\/a>, is not only providing financial support, but arms as well. Yet amidst seemingly impossible odds \u201c[t]here are strong opportunities for prevention. Concerted action could prevent the further commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and CRSV. We must not wait for the further commissioning of atrocities before acting, to do so would be negligent, if not complicit in what comes next,\u201d the signatories of the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past 7 months the RSF and allied militias have targeted people based on ethnicity in West Darfur<\/a> in a situation the UN described as \u201cverging on pure evil\u201d.<\/a> In recent weeks, RSF \u201ccaptured major SAF garrisons in south, west<\/a>, and central Darfur, with evidence of crimes against humanity, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) being perpetrated against civilians.\u201d Khartoum also continues to be a cauldron of human suffering with SAF conducting airstrikes in densely populated civilian areas and RSF invading and occupying homes and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both RSF and SAF have \u201choned their genocidal tactics over the past twenty years”; indeed, the RSF\u2019s 2023 campaign bears a chilling resemblance to the atrocities committed by the janjaweed in Darfur since 2003. The international community\u2019s delaying of punitive measures to respond to this war echoes the lack of accountability that has dominated Sudan for decades, however there is a strong opportunity for the prevention of genocide<\/a> if stakeholders take concerted action today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement calls for stakeholders to urgently act to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n