Deep concerns about the ongoing, indiscriminate attacks on civilians, critical infrastructure, and humanitarian activities have now escalated the conflict in the Kordofan and Darfur regions to a critical point. The Australian government expressed its concerns in a joint ministerial statement.
There has been a recent and drastic escalation of drone and air strikes against displaced individuals, health facilities, and food convoys, leading to increasing numbers of civilian casualties and the deliberate disruption of critical supply chains.
In the past few weeks alone, there have been attacks on World Food Program warehouses and health facilities, resulting in the deaths of both civilians and humanitarian staff. Such activities cause immediate sorrow and destroy the infrastructure necessary for sustaining life, they are prohibited under international humanitarian law and can amount to war crimes.
Darfur and Kordofan are now at the center of a global protection crisis. Famine has been confirmed, and hunger is spreading quickly as the number of displaced individuals increases, with 100,000 people displaced in the Kordofan region just. We are very concerned about reports of sexual and gender-based violence, as there is a terrifying possibility that the atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militias in El Fasher last year will be repeated in Kordofan.
We strongly condemn this horrific violence. The SAF, the RSF, and their allied militias must stop fighting immediately, and all parties have a legal and moral obligation to ensure the rapid, safe, and unimpeded delivery of food and medicines. Civilians and aid workers must be protected and allowed to escape fighting.
The international community insists on accountability, as these violations, which could constitute crimes against humanity, must be investigated impartially, and those responsible must be held accountable, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and the brave humanitarian organizations operating in conditions of extreme duress to provide life-saving assistance.
