UN Official Raises Concern Over ‘Real and Growing’ Risk of Genocide in Sudan

The United Nations (UN) Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide raised concern and warned on Tuesday that Sudan exhibits all the risk signs of genocide, “and it may already have been committed,” she said.

Alice Nderitu disclosed this during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council to mark the 25th Anniversary of a resolution on protecting civilians in armed conflict and the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.

The protection of civilians in Sudan cannot wait, Nderitu said,

The risk of genocide exists in Sudan. It is real, and it is growing every single day.

She added that many Sudanese are targeted based on their identity.

Meanwhile, El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, remains a ground zero, where fighting has recently escalated between the rival Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which are based in the city, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are now reportedly moving into the city.

With more than 80,000 civilians living in shelters within the city, they are prone to full-scale battle and war crimes relative to genocide.

Nderitu criticised both the RSF and SAF for ignoring International human rights and humanitarian law, using heavy weapons in densely populated areas, arresting youths and men at checkpoints, and using hate speech to incite violence.

She, however, told the Security Council members they have a “special responsibility” to consider measures to prevent another genocide in Sudan.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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