(The Hague) The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Tuesday he was “extremely concerned” about the ongoing violence in Darfur, in southwestern Sudan, and called on witnesses to send the ICC material enabling him to to investigate.
“I am extremely concerned about allegations of crimes… on a large scale being committed in el-Facher and neighboring areas,” prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement.
Evidence already collected “appears to show credible, repeated and escalating allegations of attacks against the civilian population,” he continued.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been the scene of a war pitting the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, against the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo.
The only capital of the five states of Darfur to escape the control of the RSF, the town of el-Facher had long been relatively spared from the fighting. But since May 10, it has been the scene of intense clashes, which have left at least 192 dead and more than 1,230 injured according to the NGO Médecins sans Frontières (MSF).
The only operational hospital in el-Facher closed its doors on Saturday after being stormed by paramilitaries trying to take over the town, MSF said on Monday.
According to the prosecutor, elements also appear to provide evidence of “large-scale use of rape and other forms of sexual violence”, as well as attacks on health establishments.
“It is a shame to allow history to repeat itself once again in Darfur,” he said. “We cannot and must not allow Darfur to become, once again, the place where atrocities are forgotten by the world.”
“We ask you to send us any useful information on our dedicated and secure platform, OTP Link,” he urged.
The conflict in Sudan has already left tens of thousands dead. In el-Geneina, capital of West Darfur, 10,000 to 15,000 people were killed, according to the UN, and nearly nine million people were displaced by the violence.
Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminately bombing residential areas and engaging in looting or blocking humanitarian aid. The paramilitaries are specifically accused of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.