Sudan: UN rights chief calls for probe after 87 bodies found in mass grave

13-07-2023

Jacob Odeh

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for a prompt investigation into the killing of 87 civilians in Sudan after a mass grave was discovered in West Darfur. The victims, belonging to the Masalit ethnic community, were allegedly killed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militia. The UN human rights office cited credible information and condemned the killings, urging those responsible to be held accountable. The RSF and Sudanese army have been engaged in intense fighting, resulting in thousands of deaths, injuries, and millions displaced. The bodies, including women and children, were forced into a mass grave, denying them a proper burial. Türk emphasized the need for an independent investigation and called on the RSF and other parties to facilitate searches for the dead in line with international law. Witnesses reported delays in accessing and burying the bodies, leaving them in the streets for days. The RSF was urged to ensure the injured receive medical care and to halt violence based on ethnicity.

Sources and further reading:

UN News. 'Sudan: UN rights chief calls for investigation into killing of 87 civilians in West Darfur'. UN News, 13 July 2023 https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138647 [accessed 19 July 2023].