Sudan – Human Rights Commissioner calls for the protection of civilians and the prevention of atrocities in the besieged Fasher

High Commissioner Volker Turk said in a press statement: “After more than 500 days of the continuous blockade imposed by the Rapid Support Forces and the continuous fighting, Al -Fasher stands on the edge of a larger catastrophe unless urgent measures are taken to ease the armed grip imposed on the city and protect civilians.”

Reports about the positions of long -term aircraft of the Rapid Support Forces in South Darfur have sparked great concerns about the possibility of hostilities to escalate in the coming days.

The statement stated that civilians are still bearing the greatest burden of indiscriminate and direct attacks with the intensification of fighting in El Fasher. In the period between 19 and 29 September, at least 91 civilians were killed by artillery shelling, running aircraft attacks, and land incursions carried out by the Rapid Support Forces.

The High Commissioner stressed the urgent need to ensure the protection of the remaining civilians in El -Fasher, including those who may not be able to leave, including the elderly, people with disabilities and those with chronic diseases.

He also stressed the necessity of ensuring the safe and voluntary traffic of civilians to get out of El -Fasher, and along their movement through the main exit methods and inspection points controlled by various armed factions. This came after repeated reports of serious violence against fleeing, including field executions, torture, kidnapping and looting.

The High Commissioner pointed to the risk of repeating the patterns of violations and attacks with ethnic motives against civilians, similar to what happened during the previous attack by the Rapid Support Forces on Zamzam camp for the displaced in mid -April, which included systematic use of sexual violence against women and girls from the ethnicity of Zaghawa.

He also called on the parties to the conflict to allow, immediately and without obstacles, to enter the humanitarian aid that is intense to the city.

Turk stressed the explicit ban, according to international humanitarian law, to use the starvation of the civilian population as a method of war, and to commit to protecting the humanitarian field workers, including local respondents.

The High Commissioner also urged all parties and countries that have a direct impact on the course of events on the ground to take urgent measures to prevent atrocities. He said: “The atrocities are not inevitable. Rather, it can be avoided if all actors take concrete steps to respect international law, demand respect for the lives and property of civilians, and prevent the continued commitment of terrible crimes.”