ICC Opens Investigation into 'Crimes' in El Fasher; Drone Strikes Hit West Kordofan, Aid Workers Killed

The Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that it will open an investigation into what it described as "serious crimes" committed recently in El Fasher city, North Darfur, which was seized by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last month.

ICC Investigation and Violations in El Fasher

• Nature of Crimes: The ICC Prosecutor's Office stated that the alleged crimes, if proven, would constitute war crimes, and affirmed that steps would be taken to preserve evidence of the alleged offenses.

• Accusations Against RSF: The RSF paramilitary forces have been accused of widespread violations, including identity-based killings, rape, looting, and pillaging. The RSF denied the charges but admitted to "transgressions" by some of its fighters.

• ICC Context: This move is part of the ICC's ongoing investigations in Darfur, initiated over two decades ago. Last month, the court convicted former RSF leader Ali Abd-al-Rahman ("Kushayb") for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the region in 2003, and continues to seek the handover of ousted President Omar al-Bashir.

• Civilian Situation: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) revealed that RSF elements detained thousands of El Fasher residents for ransom, noting that the detainees are living in harsh conditions with food shortages and suffer abuses.

New Escalation and Humanitarian Catastrophe

• Killing of Aid Workers: The Secretary-General of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, Aida Elsayed, confirmed the killing of three Red Crescent volunteers who had been filmed being beaten by a man in military uniform, emphasizing the need to respect humanitarian workers. Five other aid workers were killed in Bara, North Kordofan.

• Mass Displacement: Around 60,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled El Fasher to the Tawila area. Over a thousand families have also arrived in Al Dabbah city.

• West Kordofan Airstrike: A spokesperson for the Dar Hamar Emergency Room reported a new escalation in West Kordofan State, where an alleged Sudanese Army drone strike on a market in En Nahud city killed at least two civilians and injured others.

• Catastrophic Situation in En Nahud: The spokesperson described life in En Nahud as "completely non-existent" with most residents displaced, no clean drinking water, and widespread "killing and looting of homes."

• Overall Humanitarian Crisis: The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, called the situation in Sudan "horrific," noting that history is repeating itself in Darfur, with the risk of famine threatening approximately 25 million people.

Truce Negotiations

• Truce Denied: High-ranking sources in the Sudanese Army denied reports of an agreement for a three-month humanitarian truce with the RSF, confirming that a draft agreement had been received from mediators but not yet approved.

• Talks Ongoing: US Presidential Advisor Massad Boulos confirmed that negotiations on the truce proposal are ongoing and have reached advanced stages.