Sudan

Lobby urges AU to deploy civilian protection mission, probe rights violations in Sudan

The African Union logo outside the AU headquarters building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Reuters)

By Terry Muriuki | Friday, June 21, 2024

This appeal comes ahead of the AU Peace and Security Council's meeting on June 21, where steps to protect civilians and ensure accountability will be discussed.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called upon the African Union (AU) to collaborate with the United Nations (UN) to deploy a civilian protection mission and initiate comprehensive human rights investigations into the ongoing atrocities in Sudan.

This appeal comes ahead of the AU Peace and Security Council's meeting on June 21, where steps to protect civilians and ensure accountability will be discussed.

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HRW advocate Allan Ngari stressed the need for urgent action by the AU Peace and Security Council. "The Peace and Security Council should spell out what urgent steps it plans to take to ensure the deployment of a United Nations-backed civilian protection mission and to support investigations by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights," he stated.

The proposed mission would focus on protecting civilians, monitoring human rights abuses, and facilitating the safe return of displaced people. HRW cited an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that resulted in the deaths of dozens, including children, and the capture of various locations including El Fula, the capital of West Kordofan State.

El Fula was sheltering approximately 1,618 displaced individuals from Babanusa, including 324 children and 714 women, across 26 shelters.

Tomorrow (June 21) the @_AfricanUnion Peace &Security Council should spell out urgent steps in the deployment of a @UN-backed civilian protection mission & investigations by the @achpr_cadhp.: Roll Out Civilian Protection Mission, Ensure Sudan Probe https://t.co/eaPjzgNA60
— Allan Ngari (@justrutz) June 20, 2024

The UN Security Council resolution 2736 recently called for an immediate halt to the fighting and the withdrawal of all troops from the city. Despite several rounds of peace talks, the conflict has continued, stemming from a fallout between military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

HRW stressed the need for the AU Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and international partners to conduct thorough investigations into the human rights situation in Sudan to prevent further atrocities against civilians.

Since April 2023, the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF has resulted in severe humanitarian suffering and grave human rights abuses. HRW reported that both sides are responsible for violations of international humanitarian law, with the RSF and allied forces accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes against specific ethnic communities in West Darfur.

According to a UN report, over 15,500 fatalities have been recorded in around 1,400 violent incidents targeting civilians. Nearly 9.5 million people have been forcibly displaced, including 7.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 1.9 million refugees in neighbouring countries.

Furthermore, approximately 18 million people are acutely food insecure, with five million facing starvation. Pregnant women are particularly at risk, with an estimated 7,000 new mothers at risk of dying in the coming months if they do not receive adequate food and healthcare.