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Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said
Thursday in a statement that he was “appalled” by such reports
and urged the Sudanese army to end “arbitrary deprivation of
life.”
A video posted by Emergency Lawyers captures multiple instances
of individuals, some blindfolded, being fatally shot by men in
uniform and others in civilian clothing.
The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the contents
of the video, but OHCHR cited similar footage reportedly showing
armed men “executing civilians in cold blood” and that in some
videos, perpetrators are stating that they are punishing RSF
supporters.
“Extrajudicial killings are serious violations and their
perpetrators, as well as those with command responsibility, must
be held accountable,” said Thameen al-Kheetan, spokesperson for
the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between the military
and its rival paramilitary RSF with battles in Khartoum and
around the country. The Sudanese military has control over el-Fasher,
the capital city of North Darfur, despite near-daily strikes by
the RSF.
OHCHR spokesperson Seif Magango said the organization has
documented a “disturbing rise” in online hate speech and
incitement to violence that includes lists of individuals
accused of collaborating with the RSF being circulated online.
Emergency Lawyers condemned the social media campaign, led by
activists and Sudanese army supporters, as a “serious breach” of
local and international laws that “fuel hate speech, violence
and threaten social unity,” leading to some settling their
disputes outside the law and judicial frameworks.
At least 20,000 people are thought to have been killed since the
war broke out, though the number is likely far higher. The war
has also driven more than 14 million people from their homes and
pushed parts of the country into famine.
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