ICC Seeks Arrest Warrants for Atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur Region

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced Monday that it is seeking arrest warrants for individuals accused of committing atrocities in Sudan’s West Darfur region, where ethnic cleansing and widespread violence have been reported amid an ongoing civil war. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan told the U.N. Security Council that crimes are being committed daily in Darfur, describing the situation as a weapon of war.

Sudan plunged into conflict in April 2023 when tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including Darfur. Khan emphasized that the current violence echoes the genocide and war crimes that devastated Darfur two decades ago, when up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million displaced.

“The pattern of crimes, the perpetrators, the parties, tracked very closely with the same protagonists, the same targeted groups as existed in 2003,” Khan said. “It’s the same communities, the same groups suffering, a new generation suffering the same hell that has been endured by other generations of Darfuris.”

Human Rights Watch reported last year that the RSF and allied militias carried out targeted attacks against non-Arab groups in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, resulting in thousands of deaths and massive displacement. Khan confirmed that his office is prioritizing allegations of gender-based crimes against women and girls, calling them a “priority” for the ICC.

Khan also highlighted the siege of El Fasher in North Darfur, where RSF forces have encircled the city, threatening the safety of hundreds of thousands of displaced people. He urged all parties to comply with international humanitarian law, stating, “Now, better late than never, for goodness sake, comply with international humanitarian law, not as a charity, not out of some political necessity, but out of the dictates of humanity.”

The ICC’s announcement comes as the U.N. and international organizations warn of famine and escalating violence in the region. The U.S. has labeled the violence in Darfur as genocide, while the U.K. has refrained from using the term, citing policy that such determinations should be made by courts.

Khan’s office has made progress in its investigations, including interviewing witnesses who fled Darfur. He also noted efforts to engage with the RSF, though he emphasized the need for “swift and meaningful action” to address the crisis.