A UN report reveals systemic patterns of arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment by both the RSF and SAF in Sudan since April 2023, affecting tens of thousands, including women and children. Concerns over ethnic discrimination, enforced disappearances, and inadequate detention conditions are paramount. The report emphasizes the need for immediate action to cease such practices and calls on the international community to address these violations.
A recent report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights highlights alarming instances of arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment in Sudan, particularly by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Khartoum State, noting its resemblance to patterns in other conflict-stricken areas of Sudan. Since April 2023, it has been reported that tens of thousands, including women and children, have been detained without charges, often in deplorable conditions characterized by overcrowding and insufficient access to basic necessities.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed profound concern over these findings, 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 the principle that no individual should experience deprivation of liberty without due process or be subjected to torture or any form of cruel treatment.
The report, which encompasses events from April 15, 2023, through June 2024, is based on testimonies from 34 former detainees, witnesses, and their family members. These accounts reveal alarming instances of severe torture, including frequent beatings, and highlight the acute overcrowding and lack of sanitation in detention facilities. Additionally, there are troubling reports of detainees, including minors, suffering from severe neglect leading to fatalities within the custody of both RSF and SAF.
Specific accounts within the report indicate the use of minors as guards in the RSF’s Soba prison, with reports of children as young as 14 performing this role and those younger than 13 being held with adults. Instances of sexual violence and exploitation targeting women detainees in RSF facilities have also emerged.
The report brings to light ethnic discrimination within detention centers, as individuals from the Darfur and Kordofan regions face targeted treatment based on their ethnicity and perceived affiliations. Reports indicate that individuals from African tribes are subjected to harsher torture in RSF facilities, while those associated with the RSF may be profiled and detained by the SAF.
Concerns surrounding enforced disappearances are exacerbated by accounts detailing detainees being held incommunicado, with families often left unaware of their status. In one case, a family received dismissive responses about their detained relative’s whereabouts until they learned of his death months later.
Although the report primarily discusses Khartoum State, similar accounts have been recorded in other regions, including Darfur and Al Jazirah State. As the SAF gains control over territories, credible reports have surfaced regarding the transfer of detainees to different locations, raising further alarm about potential violations of human rights.
The UN report calls for an immediate cessation of arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment, alongside improvements in detention conditions and greater access to justice. Türk urged the international community to engage with all parties involved to resolve these issues and address the pervasive cycle of human rights violations.
A previous report from January noted, “Entrenched impunity is fuelling gross human rights violations and abuses in Sudan as fighting spreads to more parts of the country and involves additional armed actors.” It reported attacks on civilian populations and facilities, underlining the urgent need for accountability and to halt the influx of arms into the region.
Dabanga Radio has reached out to both the SAF and RSF for commentary, with previous admissions from both parties acknowledging isolated incidents while denying any systemic campaigns against civilians.
The report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights underscores critical issues of arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment in Sudan, particularly by the RSF and SAF. The alarming conditions faced by detainees, including children, coupled with ethnic discrimination and enforced disappearances, call for immediate international attention and intervention. The entrenched impunity, as further emphasized in previous reports, highlights the urgent necessity for accountability and a cessation of human rights violations in the conflict-affected regions of Sudan.
Original Source: www.dabangasudan.org
