Sudan

GENEVA, 03 November 2023 / PRN Africa / -- Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Liz Throssell

Location: Geneva

Date: 3 November 2023

Subject: (1) Israel/OPT; (2) Sudan

(1) Israel/OPT

While much attention has been on the attacks inside Israel and the escalation of hostilities in Gaza since 7 October, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is alarming and urgent, amid the increasing and multi-layered human rights violations of Palestinians occurring there.

Since 7 October up to 2 November, 132 Palestinians, including 41 children, have been killed in the West Bank – 124 by Israeli forces and eight by settlers. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Israeli forces have increasingly used military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations, including an operation overnight involving airstrikes on Jenin refugee camp. Law enforcement is governed by international human rights law, which prohibits the intentional use of lethal force except when strictly necessary to protect life.

Settler violence, which was already at record levels, has also escalated dramatically, averaging seven attacks a day. In more than a third of these attacks, firearms were used.

We have documented that, in many of these incidents, settlers were accompanied by members of the Israeli forces, or the settlers were wearing uniforms and carrying army rifles. Along with the near total impunity for settler violence, we are concerned that armed settlers have been acting with the acquiescence and collaboration of Israeli forces and authorities.

Entire communities are being forced from their land by this violence. Since 7 October, nearly 1,000 Palestinians from at least 15 herding communities have been forced from their homes. In these circumstances, settler violence may amount to the forcible transfer of a population - a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel, as the Occupying Power, has the obligation to ensure the safety and protection of the occupied population under international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

In repeated incidents, armed settlers have given Palestinian communities ultimatums to leave their homes or be killed. In one chilling example of the intimidation communities are facing, pamphlets were reportedly left by settlers on Palestinian vehicles with threatening messages telling them to leave now or face “elimination”.

Despite hundreds of settlers being involved in this daily violence, since 7 October Israeli forces have reportedly arrested only two settlers for assaulting Palestinians and killing one Palestinian farmer.

Since 7 October, Israeli forces have arrested almost 2,000 Palestinians. We have received credible and consistent reports indicating a further increase in the ill-treatment of detainees, which in many cases could amount to torture. Two Palestinians arrested since 7 October have died in custody. Those detained are reportedly not granted due process and judicial guarantees, as required by international law.

Many communities are essentially in lockdown, with roads and checkpoints closed and their freedom of movement restricted. Some of the most vulnerable Palestinian communities have been left completely isolated, without access to essential goods and services.

The intensification of the fighting in northern Gaza has continued to add to the shocking number of casualties, which, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, has reached over 9,000 killed, among them 3.700 children, and around 23.000 injured in less than four weeks. The last few days have seen intensive strikes by Israeli forces on Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, with dozens of residential buildings destroyed. Similar strikes were also reported in other parts of Gaza, for example in Al Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, with dozens of buildings reportedly destroyed.

There has been a high number of casualties reported, as well as the reported use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in some of the most densely populated areas in Gaza.

We have serious concerns that the principles of distinction and proportionality are not being respected by both sides.

We strongly urge Palestinian armed groups to immediately stop launching inherently indiscriminate rockets into Israel. They must also immediately and unconditionally release all the hostages they hold, in serious breach of international humanitarian law. The intentional co-location of military objectives and civilians or persons hors de combat with the specific intent of trying to prevent the targeting of military objectives is a serious breach of international humanitarian law.

(2) Sudan

We are deeply alarmed by reports that women and girls are being abducted and held in inhuman, degrading slave-like conditions in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur, where they are allegedly forcibly married and held for ransom. Credible information from survivors, witnesses and other sources suggests more than 20 women and girls have been taken, but the number could be higher.

Some sources have reported seeing women and girls in chains on pick-up trucks and in cars.

Initial allegations arose early in the conflict in the Khartoum area, which has remained largely under the control of the Rapid Support Forces. One of the reports indicated that women and girls had been abducted and detained at a location in the city’s Al-Riyadh district, from as early as 24 April. Since then, we have continued to receive reports of abductions, with an increasing number of cases being reported in the Darfur region, particularly North, Central and South Darfur, and in the Kordofan region.

These shocking reports come amid a persistent climb in cases of sexual violence in the country since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces six months ago.

According to our documentation, at least 105 people have been subjected to sexual violence since the hostilities began on 15 April 2023.

As of 2 November, our Joint Human Rights Office in Sudan had received credible reports of more than 50 incidents of sexual violence linked to the hostilities, impacting at least 105 victims - 86 women, one man and 18 children. Twenty-three of the incidents involved rape, 26 were of gang rape and three were of attempted rape.

At least 70 percent of the confirmed incidents of sexual violence recorded - 37 incidents in total – are attributed to men in RSF uniforms, eight to armed men affiliated with the RSF, two to men in unidentified uniform, and one to the Armed Forces. The remaining cases involved as yet unidentified men.

We restate High Commissioner Volker Türk’s calls on senior officials of both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces – as well as armed groups affiliated with them - to unequivocally condemn these vile acts and issue – urgently – clear instructions to their subordinates demanding zero tolerance of sexual violence. They must also ensure the abducted women and girls are promptly released, and provided with the necessary support, including medical and psychosocial care, and that all alleged cases are fully and promptly investigated, with those found responsible held accountable and brought to justice.

SOURCE United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)