Call for justice in Darfur

The Khartoum Resistance Committees and the Committee to Stop the Massacres in Darfur sent a memorandum to the Council of Ministers and the Public Prosecution yesterday to demand that the state increases its authority and that all perpetrators of crimes in Darfur will be prosecuted.

The memorandum called for the speedy formation of the Legislative Council, the withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from West Darfur, the arrest of all suspects involved in the massacres in Misterei, Gireida and the Kerending camps, protection of witnesses, and the integration of the RSF into the army.

Officially, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), set up by the ousted Al Bashir regime in August 2013, were integrated into the Sudan Armed Forces in August 2019. At the same time however, the militia stayed a force unto itself, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’, deputy president of Sudan's Sovereign Council.

El Gedaref

Resistance Committees in El Gedaref organised a solidarity march for the victims of the recent violence in Darfur yesterday. The protestors demanded the lifting of immunity of those accused of committing crimes, disarmament of armed groups, an end to arbitrary detentions, and the formation of the Legislative Council. The participants stressed the importance of the rule of law. They condemned hate speech and racism, and demanded that tribal violence be criminalised.

ICC

Public prosecutor Tajelsir El Hibir held a meeting with the visiting delegation from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Khartoum yesterday. The court case against Ali Muhammad Ali Abdelrahman, better known as Ali Kushayb, was discussed. Last month, the ICC rejected Abdelrahman’s request to be released from custody while waiting for his trial to begin. His next session in court is scheduled in May.

The Sudanese government signed a memorandum of understanding with the ICC regarding the trial against Ali Kushayb three weeks ago.