All parties to the conflict in Darfur, including the Sudanese government, have failed in their obligation to comply with Security Council sanctions and international human rights law, said the United Nations Panel of Experts in a comprehensive report released Friday.
The Panel, charged with overseeing compliance with the Security Council sanctions and arms embargo in Darfur, said that Darfuri civilians continue to face constant insecurity and violence without access to judicial remedies. The report documents a variety of abuses, and here’s a breakdown:
- Armed Janjaweed: Members of Arab tribes or Janjaweed continue to carry arms, and harass and attack internally displaced persons on a routine basis.
- “Rampant” sexual and gender-based violence: Victims have no recourse to justice or necessary services because of the expulsion of international non-governmental organizations in March and the absence of a functioning judicial system.
- Government and rebel attacks on civilians: The Panel cited three clashes in which the Sudanese army and two rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, and Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi, used indiscriminant force against civilians. The Sudanese government also continues to conduct offensive military overflights, bombing areas occupied by internally displaced people.
- Arbitrary arrests and detentions: The Sudanese security and intelligence apparatus continue to arrest and detain individuals based on their political affiliations; many individuals were persecuted after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Bashir on war crimes charges in March.
All belligerent parties also continue to violate the arms embargo. Of particular concern were:
- Transfer of embargoed military supplies into Darfur by the Sudanese government, JEM, and Chadian rebels.
- Movement of military personnel and materials by the Sudanese government and its auxiliary forces without prior approval from the Security Council committee.
- Illegal deployment of aviation assets and unmanned aerial vehicles by the Sudanese government.
- Illegal military operations by the Sudanese army, Chadian rebels, and JEM.
The Sudanese government was charged, in general, with impeding the peace process in Darfur. The Panel demonstrates with hard evidence—copies of signed letters and orders—that Khartoum continues to support Chadian opposition groups and Darfur rebels and regularly restricts the movement of U.N. flight operations. The report offered a scathing review in its summary, saying Sudanese officials “offer lip service while committing sanctions violations.”
If you only take a look at one part of this detailed 93-page report, check out pages 75-78, which break down the abuses committed by each actor into easy-to-read charts. Provides a good overview of the challenges that remain, nearly seven years into the conflict.