European nations outraged over atrocities in Sudan

European nations on Tuesday condemned the escalation of conflict across Sudan’s North Darfur, the Kordofan region, and the violence against civilians during and after the fall of El-Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces.

A joint statement was signed by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The allies noted that targeting of civilians, ethnically motivated mass killings, conflict-related sexual violence, starvation as a method of warfare, and obstruction of humanitarian access are heinous violations of international humanitarian law.

“Such acts, if substantiated, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the statement reads. “We condemn all atrocities in the strongest possible terms and demand that the violence stop immediately.”

The European governments acknowledged the documentation of the brutality perpetrated by the RSF in El-Fasher, where hundreds of patients and their companions were massacred in late October, provoking global rage.

Stressing that impunity must end and accountability must be upheld, the countries say protection and justice for the Sudanese people is not only a legal obligation but also an urgent moral imperative.

They deplored the widespread starvation and famine caused by access restrictions, demanding that WFP, UNICEF, and other humanitarian agencies are allowed to conduct life-saving work and reach populations in need.

The allies want civilians to be granted safe passage and encouraged all the parties to promptly facilitate such access in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2736.

“We also call on the parties to the conflict to agree to a ceasefire and a three-month humanitarian truce, as outlined in the Quad statement,” the nations urged.

Noting that “only a broad and inclusive Sudanese-owned political process” can resolve the challenges, Europe reaffirmed its support for Sudan’s sovereignty and for its people’s right to live in peace without external interference.