UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep shock on Wednesday over reports of hundreds of civilians killed and many injured in airstrikes conducted by the Sudanese army on the weekly Tora market in North Darfur on March 24. In a related context, UNICEF warned that 825,000 children in El Fasher and Zamzam camp in North Darfur state face serious risks due to ongoing conflict and deteriorating services.
Meanwhile, reports indicated that five children, aged between two and six years, were killed, and four women were seriously injured in artillery shelling carried out by the Rapid Support Forces on El Fasher city on Wednesday. This was stated in a statement issued by the 6th Infantry Division – El Fasher, which emphasized the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the area.
The situation in North Darfur continues to deteriorate, raising international concern about civilian safety, especially children. The escalation of fighting and lack of basic services exacerbate the population’s suffering, necessitating urgent intervention from humanitarian organizations to provide necessary support and assistance.
Regarding the Tora market bombing, Türk said in a statement on Wednesday: “My office received information that 13 of the victims belonged to one family, and there are reports that some of the injured died due to severe lack of access to healthcare. We also received reports that following the attack, Rapid Support Forces elements arbitrarily arrested and detained civilians in Tora”.
Türk noted that despite his continuous warnings and repeated calls to the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to protect civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, “civilians continue to be killed indiscriminately, injured, and mistreated almost daily, while civilian targets remain repeatedly targeted”.
He once again called on both parties to take all necessary measures, as required by law, to protect civilians and avoid targeting civilian property, pointing out that indiscriminate attacks and assaults on civilians and civilian property are unacceptable and may be considered war crimes.
Türk emphasized the importance of comprehensive accountability for violations that occurred in the recent attack, as well as in many previous attacks targeting civilians, adding: “This behavior should never become normalized”.
Source: Radio Dabanga
