Following reports of possible war crimes in Sudan, the United States, Great Britain and Norway have called on the parties to the conflict to end hostilities immediately. “We strongly condemn the ongoing violence in the Darfur region,” said a joint statement released by the US State Department in Washington, in particular the targeted attacks on certain ethnic groups and the widespread use of sexualized violence.
The three countries called on the parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law to protect the civilian population. In order to investigate crimes and provide humanitarian aid, “unrestricted access” to the affected areas must be guaranteed.
A report by the human rights organization Amnesty International published on Thursday shows that the conflict, which has been going on for more than three months, has resulted in indiscriminate attacks and mass civilian casualties. Some of the documented human rights violations should be considered war crimes. The International Criminal Court announced in July that it would investigate possible war crimes in Darfur. The United Nations had previously reported on mass graves in the west of the region.
