EU vows to hold human rights violators in Sudan accountable: Violations are being documented

NOTE, this report says the EU welcomed the unanimous decision of the UN Security Council to extend until December 2023 the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission (UNITAMS) in Sudan.

Report at Ahram Online 
By AFP Agence France Presse 
Dated Monday 5 June 2023 - full copy:

EU vows to hold human rights violators in Sudan accountable

The European Union (EU) said on Monday that human rights violations in Sudan are being documented, vowing to hold those responsible accountable.

Image: Smoke billows behind buildings from a reported fire in Khartoum, on June 5, 2023 .AFP

“Once again we remind the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of their obligations under international law to protect civilians and guarantee humanitarian access,” the EU tweeted on Monday.

The EU urged the warring parties in Sudan to cease hostilities immediately, allowing space for the resumption of a credible and inclusive political transition process, adding that it will continue to work with all regional and international stakeholders, including the African Union and the Special representative of the UN secretary-general for Sudan, to achieve these ends.

The statement welcomed the unanimous decision of the UN Security Council to extend until December 2023 the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan to assist the political transition, progress towards democratic governance, the protection and promotion of human rights, and sustainable peace.

“We reaffirmed our support for the African Union’s Roadmap for the Resolution of the Conflict in Sudan and we are pleased that the extension of the UNITAMS mandate will help ensure inclusive and coordinated regional and international action, under African leadership, to secure a viable peace process, and the resumption of the transition to civilian government and democracy in Sudan,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, battles continued for the third consecutive day between the SAF and RSF in the city of Kutum, North Darfur, western Sudan. Clashes have spread to the Kfut area, the second largest city in the region.

On Sunday, the governor of West Darfur, Khamis Abakar, said there was "complete lawlessness" in the state.

"Armed men have taken over everything, and the situation is completely out of control," he said.

Darfur Governor Mini Minawi, a former rebel leader now close to the army, denounced on Twitter "looting" acts by armed groups, declared Darfur a "disaster zone," and appealed for help from the international community.

View original: https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/502357.aspx

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Image: Darfur Governor Minni Minnawi talks to the press last in Khartoum in February 2021.

Source: Sudan Tribune report (28 May 2023 'Darfur governor urges civilians to take up arms amidst escalating violence')

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Public Launch of Sudan Conflict Observatory Monitoring Platform Sudan.ConflictObservatory.org

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: See press release in the next post here at Sudan Watch (Sat 10 Jun 2023 - 'Conflict Observatory - A remote monitoring platform to provide reporting on conflict activity in Sudan')

 

Note that the press release ends with satellite imagery showing extensive fire-based damage observed at the SAMIL Plumpy'Nut® Production Facility in Khartoum, plus findings and a link to the first report Fri 9 Jun 2023 published at Conflict Observatory's website. 

Here is a press release at the US Department of State's website announcing the public launch of the Sudan Conflict Observatory monitoring platform.

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U.S. Department of State www.state.gov

Press Release

Dated Friday 9 June 2023 - full copy:

Public Launch of Sudan Conflict Observatory Monitoring Platform

MEDIA NOTE

OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON

JUNE 9, 2023

As the United States and our partners continue intense diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Sudan, facilitate humanitarian assistance, and support the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a civilian government, we are monitoring the activities of the warring parties.  Through commercial satellite imagery and open-source data analysis, this monitoring has documented multiple serious violations by both sides of their obligations under the May 11 Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan and subsequent ceasefires.

Today, the U.S. Department of State announced that some results of this monitoring will be released publicly via the Sudan Conflict Observatory platform.  This remote monitoring platform provides independent, expert reporting on conflict activity in Sudan, including damage to infrastructure committed by combatants, military equipment movements, and rapid population shifts.  Additional reports will be released periodically through the Sudan.ConflictObservatory.org website.  This effort is a collaboration among the geographic information systems companies Esri and PlanetScape Ai, as well as Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab.

The Sudan Conflict Observatory platform affirms the U.S. commitment to transparency as we work with partners to bring an end to the military conflict in Sudan; address human rights violations and abuses; and ensure immediate, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access for organizations providing life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable and those displaced due to the fighting.  The United States is unwavering in our support for the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people and their demands for freedom, peace, and justice.

For more information, please contact csopublicaffairs1@state.gov.

View original: https://www.state.gov/public-launch-of-sudan-conflict-observatory-monitoring-platform/ 

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