Beyani said that he plans to meet his African Union counterpart on Friday to discuss a co-ordinated response.
Beyani, who recently assumed his role, said there were “massive violations of international human rights law” and “direct attacks on civilians” by warring parties in Darfur.
“Once our office sounds the alarm, the alarm rings over and beyond the ordinary violations of human rights or of international humanitarian law,” he said on Thursday. “It indicates that the threshold is about to be crossed, and therefore, there has to be early action taken.”
He confirmed that he had spoken to the UN Resident Co-ordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown, and would issue an advisory to Secretary-General António Guterres, the Security Council, and other UN bodies.
Graphic reports and videos that surfaced late last month appear to show atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia after it seized control of El Fasher from Government troops, ending more than 500 days of siege.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher told the Security Council on October 31 that “the horror is continuing” in Darfur, warning that civilians remain trapped amid widespread violence.
Beyani’s office said several risk indicators for atrocity crimes are now present in Sudan, though it emphasised that only an international court can make a legal determination of genocide.
The International Criminal Court also voiced “profound alarm” on Monday, saying it was gathering evidence of mass killings, rapes and other atrocities allegedly committed in El Fasher.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the RSF has agreed to a “humanitarian ceasefire” proposed by the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The UN has warned of worsening conditions in North Darfur, where thousands displaced from El Fasher are facing acute shortages of food, water, shelter and medical care. Aid agencies are setting up new camps in Tawila and surrounding areas, but more than 650 000 people remain in desperate need of assistance.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
