While the war has raged since April 15 between the SAF armed forces and the FSR paramilitaries, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had accused both camps of having committed war crimes, adding that the FSR and their allied militias had also committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. According to Washington, the war has left at least 10,000 victims and nearly 7 million displaced and refugees. The Americans therefore put in place tools to recover evidence and prosecute the perpetrators.
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Several mechanisms are at work to record crimes in Sudan. The Human Rights Council created a commission of inquiry. The ICC has launched investigations, however limited to Darfur. But the Americans are also working on their side. They funded the opening of an observatory at Yale University to accumulate evidence.
“ We will continue to collect information with our intelligence services, or even open digital data, explains Beth Van Schaack, ambassador for international criminal justice. In the past, we have already shared elements with investigators. Exchange protocols have been created with institutions. We can provide assistance to the ICC. Other foreign justice systems have teams specializing in war crimes. Units are collaborating more and more. Europe has created the Eurojust network of prosecutors. These people meet to discuss ongoing cases and there are also mutual legal assistance treaties with various countries. »
The belligerents did not hide their hostility to his investigations. The SAF refuses to allow the Human Rights Council mission to enter the country. But Beth Van Schaak remains hopeful that the truth will come out. “ Today, it is possible to carry out complete investigations without ever going to the country. We know that there are more than a million refugees, the Human Rights Council will be able to meet them. Investigators will also be able to examine satellite images, scour social networks, and use the work of journalists. We hope that this mission will begin its work very quickly. »
Beth Van Schaak believes that today too many people have killed, raped and attacked civilians with total impunity. “ Continued documentation of the conflict will be crucial to support any justice efforts », Indicates the diplomat.
On the ground, the fighting is spreading to the state of al-Jazirah, a previously untouched region located south of Khartoum. On Friday, the clashes took place on the outskirts of Wad Madani, the capital of the state, where 90,000 people took refuge to flee the capital.
I understand that a state of emergency has been requested and a curfew has been imposed. We are very concerned about the safety of the civilian population.
Justin Brady, head of Ocha office in Sudan