Amidst escalating military clashes in Sudan, Maat reiterates its urgent appeals to international and regional mechanisms regarding Sudan

Okeil calls upon the independent Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan and the African Commission to address the necessary measures needed to tackle the repercussions of the Sudanese crisis

 As part of its commitment to monitoring the humanitarian situation in Sudan, which has been ravaged by civil war for the past eight months, Maat for Peace, Development, and Human Rights, in its advisory capacity with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and as an observer member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, has submitted urgent appeals. These appeals are directed towards the independent Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan of the United Nations and the Country Rapporteur for Sudan at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The focus of these appeals is the escalation of military clashes in Sudan and the resulting human rights violations of grave concern.

Within these urgent appeals, Maat highlights a series of violations resulting from the brutal attack carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the city of "Madani" in mid-December, which led to the displacement of over 300,000 people towards safer areas like the cities of Sennar and Gedaref. It is important to note that out of the 7 million people displaced in Sudan since the conflict began in April, more than 300,000 have been affected by this recent incident. The death toll has risen to 12,501, and numerous violations have also impacted women, children, and aid workers.

Commenting on the violations mentioned in the urgent appeal, Ayman Okeil, an international human rights expert and Chairman of Maat, has called for collaboration between the United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan and the Country Rapporteur for Sudan at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The purpose of this collaboration is to discuss the necessary executive measures to address the repercussions of the Sudanese crisis and establish guarantees that will mitigate the crisis's negative effects. Additionally, it is essential to study the mechanism for providing humanitarian and relief assistance to the Sudanese people outside the conflict areas.

The human rights expert has urged both conflicting parties in Sudan to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and take all necessary measures to protect lives. This includes exercising utmost caution to avoid direct or indirect targeting of civilians, diplomats, and humanitarian aid workers during operations.