A senior prosecutor from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has raised alarm regarding the ongoing conflict in Sudan’s western Darfur region, asserting that there are reasonable grounds to believe that serious violations of international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, are being committed. During a presentation to the United Nations Security Council, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan provided a harrowing update on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, which has spanned since early 2023 and resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 individuals while displacing approximately 13 million others.
Khan articulated the profound suffering experienced by the population in the region, describing the humanitarian situation as having reached an “intolerable state.” The escalation of famine conditions, coupled with targeted attacks on hospitals, humanitarian aid convoys, and essential civilian infrastructure, has further exacerbated the plight of those affected. The prosecutor emphasized that the depth of suffering endured by the people of Darfur is difficult to convey adequately, highlighting the dire need for immediate humanitarian relief.
Investigations by the ICC have focused on the activities in West Darfur, where Khan’s team has interviewed individuals who have fled to neighboring Chad to escape the violence. She reported on the alarming patterns of deprivation, with insufficient access to food and water leading to widespread famine. Additionally, the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and the alarming frequency of abductions for ransom were highlighted as grave concerns that require urgent international attention.
In June, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan revealed that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified their military engagement, employing heavy weaponry in populated areas and using humanitarian aid as a tool of warfare. Earlier this year, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan had indicated that both the SAF and RSF were likely engaging in serious violations of international law, raising the specter of possible genocide in the region.
The Security Council first referred the crisis in Darfur to the ICC in 2005, following earlier atrocities that claimed around 300,000 lives in the early 2000s. Recently, a new investigation was launched, prompted by the conflict’s resurgence between the SAF and RSF.
As the ICC prepares to deliver its first ruling on past atrocities committed in Darfur with the case of Ali Mohamed Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, known as Ali Kosheib, Khan has asserted that the criminal court is committed to holding those responsible accountable for the ongoing violence. The situation in Darfur remains critical, and the international community is urged to respond with compassion and support to alleviate the suffering of its people, ensuring that justice and humanitarian aid reach those in desperate need.
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