UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS; ADDS TO DECK
By Beyza Binnur Donmez
GENEVA (AA) - The UN human rights chief on Wednesday said he is "extremely worried" that a repeat of atrocities in El-Fasher, which went under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces late October, might be seen in Sudan's Kordofan.
"From Darfur and the Kordofans to Khartoum and Omdurman and beyond, no Sudanese civilian has been left untouched by the cruel and senseless violence," Volker Turk told reporters in Geneva. "I am extremely worried that we might see in Kordofan a repeat of the atrocities that have been committed in El-Fasher."
Responding to a question regarding El-Fasher, he said: "We are talking about very serious atrocity crimes, war crimes for sure, potentially also crimes against humanity."
He stressed that there is an ethnically motivated violence that has come into play.
The three Kordofan states – North, West, and South – have seen weeks of fierce fighting between the army and the RSF, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee.
Of Sudan’s 18 states, the RSF controls all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for some northern parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. The army, in turn, holds most areas of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east, and center, including the capital Khartoum.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.
The RSF is accused of committing massacres, torture, and summary executions in El-Fasher.
- Gaza situation after ceasefire still 'worrying'
Turk said the rights office is also concerned about the current developments in Gaza, where Israeli violence and killing of civilians continues despite an October ceasefire.
Responding to Anadolu's question, he said: "We are worried about the current situation, because the bloodshed that we saw, the carnage that we saw in the past, has indeed no longer been there. But ... we have over 350 attacks that we recorded since the ceasefire, and they were all in the vicinity of the so-called 'yellow line,' with at least 121 Palestinians killed, including seven women, 30 children and many other injuries."
He said his office will continue to document and monitor the situation "very carefully," and urged all parties to "respect the ceasefire and to ensure that we can indeed move to the next phase."
Asked by Anadolu on the Israeli military chief declaring "yellow line" as the new border, Turk said the UN Security Council resolution is "very clear" about not defining any border or anything of that sort. It concerns a territory that must be respected in its entirety, he added.
"Gaza remains a place of unimaginable suffering, loss and fear. While the bloodshed has reduced, it has not stopped. Attacks by Israel continue, including on individuals approaching the so-called 'yellow line,' residential buildings, and IDP tents and shelters as well as other civilian objects," he said.
He added that access to essential services and goods remains "severely inadequate."
Regarding the occupied West Bank, he said: "We are seeing unprecedent levels of attacks by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians, forcing them from their land."
"This is a time to intensify pressure and advocacy – not to sink into complacency – for Palestinians across the occupied territory," he urged.
According to Gaza's media office, at least 386 people have been killed and 980 others injured by Israeli army fire since the truce.
Overall, since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 70,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 others in the brutal assault that also left the enclave in ruins.