Rights groups move against arms violations in Sudan, appeal for actions
The United Nations Security Council has been urged to implement stricter measures to address arms embargo violations and the flow of arms into war-torn Sudan.
This call comes amidst efforts to create concrete measures aimed at alleviating the suffering of civilians and preventing further violations in Sudan.
Various rights groups made the appeal following a recent report by a UN Panel of Experts that highlighted violations of the arms embargo in the region.
With Sudan now in its second year of conflict, the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has claimed over 14,600 lives and displaced more than eight million people.
About two million of the displaced seek refuge in neighboring countries like Uganda, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.
One of the groups, Amnesty International, in a petition to the UN Security Council, emphasized the disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law by the warring factions, which has left Sudanese citizens stranded without basic necessities like food, water, and medical care.
It noted that despite repeated appeals, the flow of arms into Sudan continues to increase unabated, accusing both the SAF and the RSF of deploying heavy explosive weaponry in densely populated areas of the capital and conducting indiscriminate attacks, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure.
In a statement, the Human Rights Watch urged the European Union to take urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
The group highlighted attacks on medical facilities and aid organizations as factors hindering survivors’ access to essential services and called on the EU to engage with all parties involved in the conflict to cease attacks on civilians and allow unimpeded humanitarian access.
HRW also implored the EU to increase emergency funding for the humanitarian response in Sudan, with a focus on supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
