The Hague - New York: Europe and the Arabs
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced the opening of an investigation into allegations of war crimes committed in the context of the war in Sudan, especially what happened in the city of El Geneina, in the state of West Darfur. According to the United Nations news bulletin, of which we received a copy at dawn Friday
This came during his briefing to the UN Security Council yesterday, Thursday, on the situation in Sudan, after ninety days of continuous fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces in Khartoum, Darfur and other parts of the country.
The Prosecutor referred to the report of the United Nations Office for Human Rights, which stated that it had received reliable information indicating that at least 87 people from the Masalit tribe, who were killed by the Support Forces and allied militias in Darfur, were buried in mass graves outside the city of El Geneina.
The report indicated that the burial of the bodies came in implementation of orders from the Rapid Support Forces, indicating that the local residents were forced to dispose of the bodies in a mass grave, which prevented the dead from being buried in one of the city's cemeteries with dignity.
The Prosecutor warned of the "horrific" and mounting reports that "harbinger of a repeat of the same unfortunate history that compelled the Security Council in 2005 to refer the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court."
He called on Council members to act urgently and collectively to protect the most vulnerable, stressing that the people of Darfur have lived with "uncertainty, pain and the scars of conflict for nearly two decades."
He added, "As I tell you now, there are women and men, girls and boys, elderly men and women who fear for their lives and live in anxiety in the midst of the conflict. Their homes are burning and many do not know what the night will hold for them and what their fate will be tomorrow."
A stern warning
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which is based in The Hague, Netherlands, warned that every individual proven to be involved in committing crimes that fall within the jurisdiction of his office - that is, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes - will be subject to investigation, noting that those who prove their involvement in committing these crimes Crimes will be held accountable in fair and just trials, as he put it. added:
“I want to send a frank message to every commander, every combatant, every soldier who has a weapon and believes he can act as he pleases. Targeting civilians, their homes and places of living, and women and children in particular are crimes under the Rome Statute. Targeting schools, humanitarian supplies and facilities Humanity must stop immediately, because the damage these actions inflict cannot be described in words."
Mr. Khan said that anyone outside Sudan who incites, encourages and facilitates crimes committed in Darfur will also be investigated. He went on to say:
"This is the moment when things should become clear about the outcome of the situation, about options, and about the moral and legal responsibility that we owe to people who have felt that they have been hidden for two decades, and that they believe that the decisions and sanctions issued by this Council are not taken seriously and do not constitute a shield." as required by the Charter of the United Nations.
Launching a new campaign
Karim Khan pointed out that these investigations opened by the court related to many allegations of looting, extrajudicial killing and home burning in the states of West and North Darfur.
He announced the launch of a new campaign, through which he asked and encouraged citizens to provide information to his office - securely - through a portal created specifically for this purpose.
He said that he had given clear instructions to his office to give priority to gender-based violence and violence against children, particularly sexual violence. added:
This reality, the reality of orphaning children, abuse of women and setting fire to homes is the result of a lack of will despite the repeated reports that were referred to this Council, despite the reports of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, despite reports from various organizations and the UNITAMS mission recently. Although Therefore, we did not pay attention to the testimonies of the Darfuri Sudanese brothers and sisters.
The Public Prosecutor said that what happened was "a manifestation of clear disregard and a breach of clear and repeated commitments made by the Government of Sudan to its people," stressing that justice is the basis for the prospects for any peace, security and stability.