Sudanese Attorney General Al-Fateh Mohamed Issa Tayfour stated that government authorities in the country have discovered 965 mass graves in areas recaptured from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
He considered this a clear indication of the scale of violations and atrocities committed, including extrajudicial killings and deaths resulting from torture and harsh treatment in detention centers.
The International Criminal Court had already begun investigations following accusations against the RSF of committing acts of genocide in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State, after the discovery of mass graves and widespread violations in the state following the incursion of “Hemedti’s” forces. Subsequent reports emerged about the discovery of mass graves in several Sudanese cities.
He pointed out that the Public Prosecution has received more than 14,000 reports of enforced disappearances since the outbreak of war in the country in mid-April 2023.
The Attorney General handed over to the Secretariat of the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances in Geneva the report of the National Committee for the Investigation of War Crimes, which included details and information about the mass graves and other violations, including reports of enforced disappearances that have escalated rapidly over the past two years.
On the sidelines of his participation in the 59th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Attorney General met with the Secretariat of the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances, where he explained the efforts of the Public Prosecution and the National Investigation Committee in this regard, and handed over a copy of the third interim report of the National Investigation Committee, which included information on reports of enforced disappearances up to the end of last month.
He confirmed that the number of reports from citizens increased after the army advanced and regained control of the regions of Khartoum, Al-Jazirah, and Sennar, stressing that law enforcement authorities from the Public Prosecution and the police have resumed their work in those areas.
The Attorney General also met with the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, on the sidelines of his participation in the 59th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. He noted Sudan’s keenness to engage with human rights mechanisms, especially those concerned with the rights of women and girls.
He explained the efforts of the National Committee, the Public Prosecution, and relevant judicial bodies to achieve justice, uphold the rule of law and accountability, and combat impunity, especially regarding violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
He accused the Rapid Support Forces of committing horrific atrocities and violations against women and girls, detailing the measures taken in this regard and the reports that have been received.
He indicated that there is sufficient evidence that the RSF militia used sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon and tool for terrorizing, displacing civilians, and committing genocide. Forms of sexual violence included individual and gang rape, sexual slavery, kidnapping, trafficking in women and girls, reproductive violence, and other violations.
He stressed the commitment of the Public Prosecution and the National Committee to cooperate with civil society in awareness efforts and to encourage victims to report violations.
He noted that the Public Prosecution has taken measures to facilitate reporting, such as waiving the requirement for territorial jurisdiction in filing criminal cases and abolishing the requirement for a criminal form, instead accepting medical reports in cases of sexual violence and allowing procedures to be carried out by female members of the prosecution and police.
