Darfur Union in the UK Welcomes Statement by UK Minister of Development and Africa Regarding Darfur

03:55 AM August, 27 2023

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Darfur Union in the UK Welcomes Statement by UK Minister of Development and Africa Regarding Darfur and Urges the UK for More Actions

*The Union urges the UK government to increase the Humanitarian assistance to East Chad and Darfur through Portsudan and also via Douala Port in Cameroon

* UK government should work closely with their partners to holding the leaders of RSF accountable for all the crimes against humanity and war crimes they have committed against the civilians of Darfur, including the ongoing assassinations of locals in Nyala

*Any manoeuvre by the political groups aiming to whitewash the war crimes carried out by RSF/ Janjaweed in Darfur, such manoeuvre will be traced and exposed

The Darfur Union in the UK has welcomed the statement by UK Minister of Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, regarding the atrocities in Sudan and Darfur.
In his statement, Mitchell condemned the "reports of deliberate targeting and mass displacement of the Masalit community in Darfur" as "particularly shocking and abhorrent". He also mentioned that “the UK is working hard to end the fighting in Sudan, including bolstering our capacity to monitor the atrocities that are taking place”. He continued to state “This evidence will be shared with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Criminal Court to ensure the evidence is preserved and used to hold people to account” (ref. 1). This is a significant step in terms of using clear language and strong statement from Western Governments officials regarding the ongoing in Sudan in general, and in Darfur in particular.

It is worth mentioning that the DARFUR Union in the UK has received correspondence from Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell on 3rd August 2023 (ref. 2), regarding the UK's commitment to humanitarian pledges to Darfur and Sudan, IDPs and refugees in Chad and other neighboring countries, as well as the pursuit of all diplomatic avenues to bring the war to an end. In his correspondence, Minister Mitchell reiterated the UK's commitment to providing £21.7 million in humanitarian assistance to Darfur and Sudan as of May 24th 2023. He also highlighted an earlier announcement of £5 million to help meet the urgent needs of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad”. This correspondence from the minister was received on the back of several updates from the union shared with the minister and his team since June 2023.

The Darfur Union in the UK has been working continuously to raise awareness of the ongoing atrocities and war crimes in Darfur. The group has called on the UK government to do more to support the people of Darfur and Sudan, including providing humanitarian assistance and pressing for accountability against the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the war crimes they have committed across Darfur.

Mitchell's statement is a welcome step, but the Darfur Union in the UK is urging the UK government to take further action to help the people of Darfur. The group is calling on the UK to:
Increase humanitarian assistance to Darfur, and East Chad, Adré through the routes of Portsudan and Also Douala port, Cameroon. This assistance should be in form of providing food, water, shelter, healthcare, and education to the kids.
Holding the leaders of RSF accountable for all the crimes against humanity and war crimes they have committed against the civilians of Darfur, in particular in Elgeneina and Mistri (ref. 3), Sirba (ref. 4), Murnei (ref. 5); also in other parts of the region such Kutum (ref. 6), Zallengei (ref. 7) and previous Nyala (ref. 8), all of which were covered in the Union’s periodically issued reports, with the latest report covering the use of rape by RSF and their allied Janjaweed militia as a weapon against the women and girls of West Darfur (ref. 9), as well as the political cover given to this notorious militia by the political groups for impunity. In addition to the latest assassinations of civilians in Nyala by RSF on the basis of ethnicity; it is important to mention the horrific killing of Ahmed Abaker Bargo Abdelrahman killed in his house by RSF in front of his family (wife, daughters sons, and grandchildren (ref. 10)).
To give more support to the ICC to continue their new investigations regarding the past and new war crimes in Darfur.
Put pressure on the fighting groups to stop the shelling in civilians areas and also put pressure on the RSF to get out of occupied neighbourhoods in different cities with immediate effect.
The UN Security Council must act now to stop the violence in Darfur. Reactivating Chapter 7 would send a clear message that the international community will not tolerate the continued impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
To protect civilians from the Janjaweed militias in Darfur. This can only be achieved by empowering the existing Joint Forces made of peace agreement signees and giving them a clear mandate and also all the means to increase their numbers snd presence in the city.

The UK's announcement is a welcome step, and it is essential that other countries follow suit. The people of Darfur are in desperate need of help, and the international community must do everything it can to alleviate their suffering.

The Darfur Union in the UK has urged the UK government to lead the way with respect to humanitarian assistance to Sudan, Darfur, and Adré in East Chad. The group says that there is a huge gap in humanitarian funding that needs to be filled immediately to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe such as famine.

It is worth mentioning that the RSF has been cited in the the previous HRW report as the main actor of the atrocities committed against the Masalit and other local population in Mistri. This report was used by the international criminal court general Prosecutor Karim Khan in his briefing to the United Nations Security Council. In his briefing, Prosecutor Khan said that the ICC is investigating “alleged” new war crimes in West Darfur and added “We are by any analysis not on the precipice of a human catastrophe but in the very midst of one” (ref. 11). The Human Right report continued to mention “credible information” that they were killed by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters and an allied Janjaweed militia (ref. 12). It is worth mentioning that Darfur Union in the UK had a meeting with the Deputy ICC prosecutor during which the Union expressed their support to the work the ICC is doing regarding the Darfur case, ongoing and new and also the willingness for continuing working together with all the Darfur bodies and ICC to promote the just case of Darfur (ref. 13).

Darfur Union in the UK
Website: https://darfurunionuk.wordpress.comhttps://darfurunionuk.wordpress.com

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