Rights Watch: Alliance to Prevent Atrocities in Sudan faces an urgent test to protect civilians

Human Rights Watch called on a new international coalition to act swiftly to protect civilians and stop ongoing violations in Sudan, saying the coalition’s success will depend on translating political commitments into practical measures on the ground.

“Human Rights Watch called on the new international coalition focused on preventing atrocities and promoting justice in Sudan to act swiftly to protect civilians and stop the ongoing violations there, stressing that its success will depend on its ability to translate political commitments into practical measures on the ground”

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The call appeared in a commentary by Africa researcher Mohamed Osman following an announcement on February 26 by the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway that they had formed a coalition aimed at preventing atrocities and promoting justice in Sudan.

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Human Rights Watch said the announcement comes at a time when violations continue unabated, making the task before the coalition extremely urgent.

The organisation noted that the announcement was issued by member states of the “Core Group on Sudan” in the Human Rights Council after the Rapid Support Forces’ takeover of the city of El Fasher in North Darfur state and after the United Nations concluded that the attacks carried out by these forces bore the hallmarks of genocidal violence.

Human Rights Watch said it and others had warned for 18 months of the risk of atrocities as the siege of El Fasher and its bombardment by the Rapid Support Forces continued, but international efforts, including those of some members of the new coalition, failed to provide adequate protection for civilians.

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The group also highlighted that in recent months both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army have widely used drones, particularly in the Kordofan region, in attacks reported to have targeted aid convoys and damaged civilian infrastructure, as well as causing civilian deaths and injuries.

Human Rights Watch said these developments reveal the heavy price civilians pay when abusive parties are able to obtain arms supplies and stressed that the first step the new coalition should take is to work to stop the flow of weapons.

“Human Rights Watch called on the new international coalition focused on preventing atrocities and promoting justice in Sudan to act swiftly to protect civilians and stop the ongoing violations there, stressing that its success will depend on its ability to translate political commitments into practical measures on the ground”

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The organisation urged coalition members to build political momentum to establish a new protection mission mandated by the UN Security Council and to work on developing a practical concept for its operational structure.

Human Rights Watch framed stopping arms flows and creating an operational mission as essential practical measures to protect civilians on the ground.

On accountability, Human Rights Watch said the coalition must push for justice by making accountability a central pillar of political dialogues, calling for the expansion of the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction to cover all of Sudan, not just Darfur, and encouraging prosecutions on the basis of universal jurisdiction.

The organisation said the coalition’s success will also be measured by its ability to strengthen coordinated international action on Sudan, including working with the UN’s new personal envoy to Sudan and expanding the circle of partners to include the African Union, countries from the region, and additional European Union member states.

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Human Rights Watch concluded that the new coalition may offer a glimmer of hope, but that hope remains contingent on the willingness of the countries involved to deploy the necessary political weight to stop the warring parties and their backers from continuing to operate in a climate of blatant impunity.