A UN report highlights severe human rights violations in Khartoum State, including widespread arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment by RSF and SAF. With tens of thousands detained, the report calls for immediate cessation of these practices and improved conditions. It urges international involvement to end these systematic abuses, reinforcing the need for due process and respect for human rights amid ongoing conflict.
A recent United Nations report reveals alarming patterns of arbitrary detention, torture, and poor treatment of detainees by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Khartoum State, amid ongoing conflict. The situation has escalated since April 2023, with tens of thousands, including vulnerable groups such as women and children, detained without formal charges in deplorable conditions.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned these practices, stating, “The widespread practices of arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment of detainees, and inhumane conditions of detention facilities, in contravention of international norms and standards, are deeply disturbing.” He emphasized that no person should be deprived of liberty without due process or subjected to torture.
The report, analyzing incidents from April 15, 2023, to June 2024, is based on interviews with former detainees and witnesses, illustrating instances of torture, overcrowding, and lack of sanitation in detention centers. Testimonies also revealed deaths due to inadequate medical care and horrific cases of young individuals, as young as 14, being forced to serve as guards.
Discriminatory treatment was observed, particularly against individuals from the Darfur and Kordofan regions, who faced profiling and detention based on ethnicity. Violence against women, including sexual exploitation, was documented in two RSF-controlled facilities. Reports indicated that many detainees were held without information on their status, raising extensive concerns about enforced disappearances.
The report also notes ongoing concerns regarding detainees being transferred from known locations to undisclosed places, exacerbating fears of continued human rights violations. Türk urged all parties to cease arbitrary practices and enhance detention conditions while calling upon the international community to intervene to prevent further violations.
To access the full report, please visit the following link: https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/detention-facilities-and-practices-khartoum-state-context-conflict-sudan.
The UN report underscores the severe human rights abuses occurring within detention facilities in Khartoum State, driven by arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment by state forces. The call to action for both local authorities and the international community emphasizes the urgent need for reform and the protection of fundamental human rights, as the conflict in Sudan continues to inflict suffering on countless individuals.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
