Amidst the escalating conflict in Sudan, the governor of Darfur, Mini Arko Minawi, has appealed to the United Nations Security Council for an international investigation into the surge of violence plaguing the region. Darfur has become a central point in the ongoing conflict, experiencing some of the fiercest battles and a wave of targeted attacks in recent months.
Minawi specifically called for the International Criminal Court to examine the alleged "crimes and assassinations" that have occurred in Darfur over the past two months. This plea comes as the conflict between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, continues to intensify. The fighting, which began in mid-April, has resulted in widespread casualties and displacement, with Darfur bearing a significant brunt of the violence.
The violence in Darfur has taken on an alarming ethnic dimension, according to U.N. officials. U.N. envoy Volker Perthes has issued a grave warning that the attacks carried out by the RSF and allied Arab militias could potentially constitute crimes against humanity. Minawi echoed these concerns, highlighting the "excessive force" used against residents in various areas, including Genena, the capital of West Darfur province.
Drawing parallels to the devastating Darfur conflict of the early 2000s, Minawi described a grim situation characterized by killings, rapes, looting, property destruction, and targeted assassinations of political and community leaders, including the governor of West Darfur. The earlier conflict saw ethnic Africans rebelling against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, leading to a brutal counter-insurgency campaign involving the Janjaweed, a precursor to the RSF. The Janjaweed were implicated in widespread atrocities during that period.
In the current conflict, the RSF and allied Arab militias are accused of repeatedly attacking areas primarily inhabited by the non-Arab Masalit community, resulting in the destruction of numerous towns, villages, and displacement camps. Disturbing reports have also emerged detailing numerous cases of rape, with the RSF being implicated in the vast majority of these incidents.
