Refugees International Welcomes Atrocity Determination for Crimes in Sudan, Calls for Action 

Statement from Refugees International Director for Africa, Asia, and the Middle East Daniel P. Sullivan: 

“Today, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made an official atrocity determination on Sudan. The United States government has determined that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed war crimes and that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during the seven months of fighting that have devastated Sudan.  

This determination is in line with reports that Refugees International recently heard from people who fled Darfur in Sudan to neighboring Chad and reports from other independent monitoring organizations. People in Chad told Refugees International about being targeted due to their ethnicity, arbitrary executions, and rape being used as a weapon of war. 

In the face of this horrific violence, last week, Refugees International joined 50 organizations in sending a letter to the Biden administration calling on them to make such an atrocity determination and to back it with concrete actions.

Today’s announcement is a first step. But more must be done.

The determination must be backed by the appointment and resourcing of a Presidential Envoy to lead diplomatic efforts toward a sustainable cessation of hostilities. It must also be followed by commitments to fund evidence collection and preservation as well as a surge of humanitarian support for the millions of displaced and endangered Sudanese civilians who have been caught in the crosshairs of the intense fighting and atrocities, as well as the 1.2 million people who have fled the country to escape the fighting.

Now, it is more important than ever for President Biden to speak out about the violence and back up this recognition of atrocities with action.” 

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org. 

Featured Image: Activists demonstrate in front of the White House, calling on the US to intervene to stop the fighting in Sudan, in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2023. Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP.