Darfur Governor Minni Minawi called on the international community to act quickly and assist the International Criminal Court in gathering new evidence about crimes committed in the region.
The call follows an urgent appeal by the Prosecutor of the International Court, Karim Khan, urging the concerned parties to provide any evidence or material that contributes to exposing the ongoing atrocities to which the civilian population in Darfur is subjected.
Since last year, Sudan has been suffering from an ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which has resulted in the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, exacerbated the crisis and displaced thousands, in addition to the sabotage of infrastructure and vital facilities in the region.
For his part, Minawi stressed the importance of swift action and support to the ICC to ensure justice and bring those responsible to justice.
He also noted that these efforts must be supported by the entire international community to contribute to putting an end to the humanitarian emergency crisis in Darfur.
ICC appeals for evidence
Khan appealed to witnesses in Sudan to send evidence to assist the urgent investigation opened by his office into accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region.
Khan expressed grave concern about accusations of large-scale international crimes in and around El Fasher.
This came in a video statement published on Tuesday, where he noted that the ongoing investigations reveal an organized and systematic attack that deeply targets human dignity.
Khan said his investigators had uncovered evidence of systematic attacks targeting civilians based on their ethnic background, with widespread use of rape and attacks on hospitals.
He called on anyone with possible evidence, whether visual or audio material, to submit it to their office.
Khan’s comments came just days after an RSF attack led to the closure of a key hospital in El Fasher on Sunday, with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reporting that the armed group had opened fire and looted the hospital.
El Fasher, home to more than 1.8 million people and displaced people, is the only administrative capital in the vast Darfur region that has not fallen under the control of the RSF and is a major humanitarian hub in a region facing famine.
Residents in El Fasher described the city as “hell on earth” where they could lose their lives at any moment, according to Toby Harward, the UN’s deputy humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, who spoke to Al Jazeera last month.
The ICC has previously issued arrest warrants for former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges including genocide, which prosecutors said was committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2008.
