The International Criminal Court investigates new war crimes in Darfur

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, confirmed on Thursday the opening of a new investigation into war crimes in the Sudanese region of Darfur, urging not to allow “history to repeat itself”.

Khan announced this step in a report to the United Nations Security Council, at a time when Sudan has been in chaos for three months due to the power struggle between two generals.

Darfur, where the civil war claimed the lives of approximately 300,000 people in the early 21st century, has not been spared from atrocities. On Thursday, the United Nations stated that at least 87 bodies, believed to be victims of killings that took place last month, were buried in a mass grave in Darfur.

In 2005, the Security Council referred the situation in this region to the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant against former President Omar al-Bashir on charges including genocide.

Karim Khan said, “We risk allowing history to repeat itself; the same horrific story that led this Council to refer the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court in 2005.”

He emphasized before the Security Council that “the people of Darfur are living in a state of uncertainty and suffering, with the scars of the conflict for almost two decades.”

His office, which has a mandate limited to Darfur, has opened an investigation into “incidents that have occurred in the context of the ongoing hostilities,” according to his report, which refers to a “wide range” of information related to war crimes and alleged crimes against humanity since the start of the conflict in April.

The Chief Prosecutor said, “I want to send a clear message to every combatant, every commander, and every soldier who possesses a weapon and believes they can do as they please, that deliberately attacking civilians, attacking their homes and livelihoods, is a crime prohibited by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.”

Crimes against children were also addressed by Khan, including looting, arson, and extrajudicial executions, stating that he had given “instructions” to his office to prioritize crimes against children, sexual crimes, and gender-based violence.

Since April 15, the Sudanese Army Commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been engaged in a war against General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces.

During a summit held in Egypt on Thursday, the seven neighboring countries of Sudan called on international donors to assist in receiving over 700,000 refugees who have fled the war in Sudan.

The United States praised the new investigation by the International Criminal Court. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that “the atrocities and violence in Darfur deserve to be held accountable.”

Khan stated that the absence of justice for the crimes committed in Darfur during the early years of the current century “planted the seeds of this recent cycle of violence and suffering.”

Even before the outbreak of the recent clashes, there has been a “further deterioration in the cooperation of the Sudanese authorities,” according to his report.

This accusation was rejected on Thursday by Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations, Harith al-Harath Mohammed al-Khamees, who affirmed that his government “has always cooperated with the International Criminal Court.”