UN mission reports 13 mass graves of civilians unraveled in Sudan
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In a concerning development, Volker Perthes reveals the discovery of at least 13 mass graves near the Sudanese city of El Geneina.
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An aerial view shows black smoke rising above the Khartoum International Airport in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 20, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
Volker Perthes, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), reported on Wednesday that a minimum of 13 mass graves have been discovered in close proximity to the Sudanese city of El Geneina.
The graves include bodies of civilians killed in attacks carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group and other militias operating in the region, the UN representative said.
"The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office received credible reports about the existence of at least 13 mass graves in El Geneina and its surrounding areas as a result of the RSF and militias’ attacks on civilians, with the majority of these civilians from the Massalit community," Perthes told the UN Security Council meeting.
Perthes added that the mission and UN colleagues are "documenting these violations and recall that these acts if verified, may constitute war crimes." He added that at least 5,000 people have been killed and more than 12,000 people have been injured since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan.
#Sudan is plunged into complete chaos one day after clashes broke out between the #Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). pic.twitter.com/C4zxUOWKEJ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 16, 2023
This is happening shortly after at least 40 civilians were killed and several others were injured in a bombing on a market in southern Khartoum, the highest single-incident death toll since Sudan's clashes began in April.
Air and artillery strikes in civilian areas have increased as the fight between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters its fifth month, with neither side declaring victory or peace prevailing.
Meanwhile, more than half of Sudan's 48 million population now require humanitarian aid and protection, with six million being at risk of famine, as per the United Nations. Despite challenges, such as insecurity and looting, the UN has managed to provide aid to millions in need.
It is worth noting that the clashes have internally displaced around 3.8 million people, with another million crossing borders into neighboring countries. Among the displaced are nearly 2.8 million from Khartoum, accounting for more than half of the capital's pre-war population of around five million.
Read next: What is happening in Sudan?
