Showing posts with label international humanitarian and human rights law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label international humanitarian and human rights law. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 05, 2025

Sudan: Closed Consultations at UN Security Council

Security Council Report
From What's In Blue 
Dated Mon 4 Aug 2025 - full copy:

Sudan: Closed Consultations


This afternoon (4 August), Security Council members will convene for closed consultations on Sudan. The meeting was requested by Denmark and the UK (the penholder on the file) to receive an update on the humanitarian and political situations in the country, specifically in light of the recent escalation of violence in North Darfur state and the Kordofan region. Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk are expected to brief.


Ahead of the meeting, Russia apparently objected to having an official from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) brief on Sudan, arguing that the office lacks the mandate to brief the Council on the issue. However, Denmark and the UK countered this argument, noting OHCHR’s strong presence in Port Sudan, as well as its access to nationwide networks and to parties to the conflict. They also argued that the Council should be able to draw on all relevant information to inform its work and cited precedents of briefings from OHCHR officials to the Council on other situations.


At this afternoon’s meeting, Lamamra is expected to provide an overview of the grave security situation in the country, amid spiralling and unabated violence. In recent months, North Darfur state and the Kordofan region have witnessed an alarming escalation in hostilities, with large numbers of civilians bearing the brunt of the fighting. Fierce clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have continued, as both parties seek to consolidate territorial control. The fighting has been marked by heavy use of drones, artillery, ground operations, and airstrikes, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and raising concerns about widespread violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. (For background and more information, see our 26 June What’s in Blue story.)


The Kordofan region has become a key flashpoint in the ongoing conflict due to its strategic importance as a crossroads linking the country from east to west and north to south. Control of the region is critical to shaping the balance of power in Sudan’s civil war. El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state and a focal point of fighting, remains the SAF’s westernmost stronghold after it broke the RSF’s siege in February. The SAF reportedly uses El-Obeid as a base for launching airstrikes into Darfur and for preventing RSF advances towards Khartoum. Recent media reports have indicated an RSF mobilisation aimed at seizing El-Obeid.


In a 17 July statement, OHCHR noted that it had verified the killing of at least 60 civilians by the RSF in the Bara locality of North Kordofan since 10 July. Civil society groups have reported significantly higher figures, with some estimates placing the death toll at up to 300. The OHCHR statement added that at least 23 civilians were reportedly killed and over 30 injured in airstrikes carried out by the SAF on two villages in West Kordofan state between 10 and 14 July. Additionally, on 17 July, a SAF airstrike in the Bara locality killed at least 11 civilians.


In the same statement, Türk warned that a continued escalation of hostilities would worsen the already dire humanitarian situation and heighten risks to civilians. He urged those with influence to prevent such an escalation and to ensure that both parties uphold their obligations under international law, including to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Türk reiterated his call on the warring parties to ensure safe, sustained, and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, including through humanitarian pauses. He stressed that alleged violations must be independently investigated and those responsible held accountable. This afternoon, the briefers and several Council members are likely to reiterate these messages.


Today’s meeting is also expected to take stock of recent political developments in Sudan. Kamil Eltayeb Idris—who has been appointed as Sudan’s prime minister by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the SAF’s leader and chairperson of the Transitional Sovereignty Council—has continued appointing members to a recently established 22-member non-partisan technocratic government. Meanwhile, the RSF-led Sudan Founding Alliance (known as “Tasis”)—a coalition of rival armed and political groups, including the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, which controls territory in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states—announced in late July the formation of a parallel government in RSF-held areas. The structure includes a 15-member presidential council headed by the RSF’s leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, with Hilu serving as vice president and Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi as prime minister.


Several regional and international interlocutors have denounced the RSF’s decision to establish a parallel governing authority, warning that it risks entrenching Sudan’s political fragmentation, and have underscored the importance of upholding the country’s territorial integrity. In a 29 July press statement, members of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) rejected the creation of the so-called “parallel government” and stressed that the AU only recognises the Transitional Sovereignty Council and the recently formed civilian transitional government, until consensual arrangements are reached to restore constitutional order.


Sudan has on multiple occasions expressed its desire to be readmitted to the AU, after having been suspended in the wake of the October 2021 military takeover. The AUPSC convened earlier today to consider the situation in Sudan, under the rotating presidency for the month of August of Algeria (an elected UN Security Council member in 2024-25).


Lamamra most recently briefed Council members in closed consultations on 27 June, providing an update on ongoing regional and international initiatives to resolve the crisis in Sudan. He apparently underscored the urgent need for a united and coordinated approach to address the crisis through immediate and concrete action. It seems that Lamamra also shared insights from the fourth consultative meeting on enhancing coordination among the various peace initiatives on Sudan, hosted and chaired by the European Union (EU) in Brussels a day earlier (26 June). The next round of the consultative meeting is expected to be held in Addis Ababa, although the date has yet to be determined.


At a tri-partite meeting in Baghdad in May, the leaders of the UN, AU, and the League of Arab States (LAS) agreed to maintain regular contact to better coordinate peace efforts in Sudan. The AU Chairperson’s special representative to Sudan, Mohamed Belaiche, visited Port Sudan last week, where he met with senior Sudanese officials, including Burhan and Idris. (For more information, see our 18 May and 26 June What’s in Blue stories.)


In recent months, the US has appeared to reinvigorate efforts to advance peace talks in Sudan, in coordination with regional and international partners. In early June, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos convened a meeting on the Sudan conflict in Washington DC with the ambassadors to the US of the other Quad countries, namely Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US had also planned to host a high-level meeting of Quad foreign ministers on 29 July; however, according to media reports, the meeting was postponed indefinitely due to disagreements between Egypt and the UAE—who are said to support opposing sides in the conflict—over the language of a proposed joint statement. There have also been reports that the US rejected an Egyptian request to include representatives of Sudan’s government in the meeting. Separately, the Sudan conflict has featured in recent bilateral discussions between senior US officials and key interlocutors, including Egypt and Qatar.


Security Council members are currently negotiating a draft press statement, authored by the “A3 Plus” members (Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guyana) and the UK, that responds to the announcement made by the RSF-led Tasis alliance establishing a parallel governing authority. The draft press statement was open for comments until this morning. At the time of writing, members were awaiting a revised version of the text.


View original: 

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2025/08/sudan-closed-consultations-8.php


End

Thursday, February 06, 2025

US sanctions ICC for targeting US and allies including Israel. UK and EU should expel US from UN and NATO

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Following the inauguration of POTUS Donald Trump on Jan 20, he ordered the US to withdraw its membership of many organisations that require members to adhere to international law, humanitarian and human rights law and help provide assistance to the most vulnerable people in need. The decline of the US, its weak moral compass, hatred of foreigners and cruelty towards fellow man means that the US cannot be trusted. The UK and EU should expel US from the UN and NATO.
____________________________

Three related reports:

From BBC News online

By Bernd Debusmann Jr

BBC News, White House

Dated Thursday, 6 February 2025, 22:21 GMT - full copy:


Trump sanctions International Criminal Court, calls it 'illegitimate'


IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES

Image caption, Trump previously sanctioned ICC officials during his first term in office in 2020.


President Donald Trump has signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court, accusing it of "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel".


The measure places financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families who assist in ICC investigations of American citizens or allies.


In January, the US House of Representatives voted to sanction the ICC after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes allegations in Gaza, which Israel denies. The ICC also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.


At the time, the ICC said it "regrets any attempts to undermine the court's independence, integrity and impartiality".


The US is not a member of the ICC and has repeatedly rejected any jurisdiction by the body over American officials or citizens.


The order says that the ICC's recent actions "set a dangerous precedent" that endanger Americans by exposing them to "harassment, abuse and possible arrest".


"This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel," the order says.


The White House accuses the Hague-based ICC of creating a "shameful moral equivalency" between Hamas and Israel by issuing the warrants for the Israeli leaders and a Hamas commander at the same time, according to a fact sheet circulated by the White House earlier.


The White House believes the ICC is placing constraints on Israel's right to self-defence, while accusing the body of ignoring Iran and anti-Israel groups.


Trump has repeatedly criticised the ICC, and took several steps to sanction the body during his first term in office.


At the time, he also imposed sanctions on ICC officials who were investigating whether US forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.


The order allowed the US to block the assets of ICC employees and stop them from entering the US.


In response, the ICC said that the sanctions were an "unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law".


Founded in 2002 - in the wake of the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the Rwandan genocide - the ICC was formed to investigate alleged atrocities.


The court can only deal with crimes committed after July 2002, when the Rome Statute - which formed the ICC - came into effect.


Over 120 countries have ratified the statute, while another 34 have signed and may ratify in the future.


Neither the US nor Israel is party to the Rome Statute. The order states that "both nations are thriving democracies with militaries that strictly adhere to the laws of war".


The ICC is a court of last resort and it is meant to intervene only when national authorities cannot or will not prosecute.



Media caption, 

Watch [Video 00:14]: Netanyahu gifts Trump a golden pager during US visit 


Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, also criticised the ICC's warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, calling the move "outrageous" and saying there was no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.


Trump's signing of the executive order comes as Netanyahu visits Washington.


In a joint press conference with the Israeli prime minister this week, Trump said the US could "take over" Gaza, which he said could become the "Riviera of the Middle East".


He again made the claim on his Truth Social social media platform.


"The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting," Trump said on Thursday.


He repeated his belief that the idea would mean resettling Palestinians, and that no American soldiers would be deployed.


His post did not make clear whether the two million residents of the Palestinian territory would be invited to return, leaving officials scrambling to explain.


On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that any displacement would be temporary, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Gazans would leave for an "interim" period while reconstruction took place.


Arab leaders, human rights organisations and the UN have condemned the idea.


International Criminal Court: What is the ICC and what does it do?


View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2p19l24g2o

- - -

From Times Radio - Video report
Dated Thursday, 6 February 2025 
Trump's plan for Gaza 'unviable' and cannot be implemented 
"There not a chance that this is something that would be implemented soon." Trump's plan for Gaza is unfounded and simply part of 'flooding the zone' with ideas, says President of the Middle East Policy Council Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley.

 
- - -
End

Monday, October 30, 2023

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: ICC Prosecutor's statement after visiting Rafah Border between Egypt & Gaza

“International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC addresses journalists after visiting the Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on 29 October 2023. From Cairo, the Prosecutor gives a statement on the current situation in Israel and the State of Palestine”. 


Video courtesy of Al Arabiya - english.alarabiya.net.  


Transcript

Follow along using the transcript facility at the video.


[Ends]

VIDEO: ICC Prosecutor speaks in Cairo on the situation in Israel and Palestine after his visit to Rafah

[Ends]

ICC prosecutor at Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza says he hopes to visit Gaza, Israel

Report at Al Arabiya - english.alarabiya.net
With AFP (Agence France-Presse)
Published Sunday, 29 October 2023: 08:57 PM GST
Updated Monday, 30 October 2023: 01:52 AM GST - here is a copy in full:

ICC prosecutor at Rafah border crossing says hopes to visit Gaza, Israel

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters about the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in The Hague, Netherlands October 12, 2023. (File photo: Reuters)


International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said Sunday preventing access to humanitarian could be a crime, after visiting Egypt’s Rafah crossing with Gaza, the main entry point for international aid.


“Impeding relief supplies as provided by the Geneva conventions may constitute a crime within the court jurisdiction,” Khan told reporters in Cairo.


He said he wanted “to underline clearly to Israel that there must be discernible efforts without further delay to make sure civilians” in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory “receive basic food, medicines”.


“I saw trucks full of goods full of humanitarian assistance stuck where nobody needs them, stuck in Egypt, stuck at Rafah,” Khan said.


“These supplies must get to the civilians of Gaza without delay.”


On Sunday the United Nations warned it feared a breakdown of public order after looting at food aid centres in Gaza run by its agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.


UN chief Antonio Guterres said the situation was “growing more desperate by the hour” as casualties in the war increase and essential supplies of food, water, medicine and shelter dwindle.


People in the Palestinian territory have lived under Israeli blockade for 16 years and under complete siege for the past three weeks after the territory’s Hamas rulers launched deadly attacks into Israel that sparked a war.


Hamas militants stormed across the Gaza border on October 7 in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 239 others, according to Israeli officials.


The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza says the retaliatory Israeli bombardment has killed more than 8,000 people, mainly civilians and half of them children.


Khan said his office had an ongoing investigation into “any crimes committed on the territory of Palestine and any crimes committed, whether it’s by Israel and Palestine or whether it’s acts committed on the territory of Palestine or from Palestine into Israel.”


“This includes current events in Gaza and also current events in the West Bank,” Khan said, adding that he was “very concerned also by the spike of the number of reported incidents of attack by settlers against Palestinian civilians” in the territory Israel has occupied since 1967.


Khan also said hostage taking was a breach of the Geneva Conventions.


“I call for the immediate release of all hostages taken from Israel and for their safe return to their families,” Khan said.


The British lawyer said “Israel has clear obligations in relation to its war with Hamas, not just moral obligations but legal obligations” to comply with the laws of conflict.


“These principles equally apply to Hamas in relation to firing indiscriminate rockets into Israel,” he said.


View original: https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/10/29/ICC-prosecutor-at-Rafah-border-crossing-says-hopes-to-visit-Gaza-Israel


[Ends]

VIDEO: ICC Prosecutor speaks outside compound by Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza Strip

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan KC was at the Rafah crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip this weekend. Watch his remarks on the current situation in Israel and the State of Palestine in this clip filmed outside the compound of the Rafah crossing.

[Ends]

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Israel says ground operations expanding as it intensifies Gaza bombing. Gaza can't be contacted

Communications go down in Gaza, leaving residents uncontactable. Hamas says clashes are taking place in northern areas. (Photo/caption from BBC)

Summary

  • Israel says its ground forces are "expanding operations" targeting Hamas in Gaza
  • Huge explosions were seen in the territory, with Israeli warplanes carrying out heavy strikes
  • Hamas says clashes have taken place in northern Gaza - reports say some Israeli troops and tanks have entered
  • Earlier, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman told Gaza City residents to move south for their safety
  • Communication networks went down around the same time, meaning residents in Gaza can't be contacted
  • The UN General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce, with 120 states voting for a resolution put forward by Jordan
  • Israel has been bombing Gaza since the 7 October Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people and saw 229 people kidnapped as hostages
  • The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 7,000 people have been killed since Israel's retaliatory bombing began

Source: BBC News Live Reporting Sat, 28 Oct 2023 00:50 BST. Read latest:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67246761


[Ends]