Norway, Australia warn of looming RSF attacks in Sudan
A group of countries, including the United Kingdom, Norway and Australia, have told the United Nations Human Rights Council that Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces may soon escalate attacks on the central Sudanese city of al-Obeid, possibly leading to large-scale atrocities.
“We are deeply concerned about the risk that escalation on the ground could occur imminently and that approximately 500,000 civilians, including more than 100,000 internally displaced people, would be at risk of becoming victims of large-scale atrocities,” Norway’s ambassador, Tormod Endresen, told the council in Geneva. he said.
Norway shared a joint statement calling on RSF to immediately stop its attack on al-Obeid.
The statement was presented on behalf of the Sudan Atrocity Prevention and Justice Coalition, which consists of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sierra Leone and Norway, and it was stated that 21 more countries joined them.
Al-Obeid, one of Sudan’s largest cities and the capital of North Kordofan state, has been the scene of the heaviest fighting in the final months of a war that has displaced nearly 14 million people, triggered ethnic bloodshed and spread famine and disease.
The coalition of countries also called on all states to apply maximum pressure on the RSF and its enemies, the Sudanese Armed Forces, to prevent atrocities and protect civilians.
He also reiterated the need for barrier-free humanitarian access.
After more than three years of war in Sudan, the Sudanese army maintains control of the central and eastern regions, while the RSF has consolidated its control in Darfur in the west.
The two sides are fighting over the vast Kordofan region in between, which is vital for agriculture.
The statement pointed out the 10 consecutive days of drone attacks that killed at least 50 civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure in al-Obeid and North Kordofan, and said, “We are seriously alarmed by the urgent risks of brutality and deliberate murder in Sudan.” The statement was included.
In October, RSF captured Al Fashir, a major city in Sudan’s Darfur region.
The famine-plagued city, once home to nearly a million people, was under siege for 18 months before the final RSF offensive began on 25 October.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk also issued a stern warning on Thursday that an imminent attack could risk possible violations of international law, warning that people living in Al Obeid have suffered from siege-like conditions for more than 18 months.
“We have seen this playbook before. We cannot allow a repeat of the preventable atrocities we documented last year at the al-Fasher and Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur,” he said in a statement.
“Let this be a clear warning to the world about an impending human rights catastrophe and the worsening humanitarian situation. Powerful states have a duty to implement this now to stop this madness.” he added.
The United States and rights groups have accused the RSF of committing genocide against non-Arabs in West Darfur during the conflict, an extension of long-running violence stemming from territorial disputes.
RSF denied responsibility for ethnically motivated killings and said those responsible for abuses would be held accountable.
