Khartoum – OnePress
The Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Nizha Shamim Khan, revealed that significant progress has been made in the investigations of crimes committed in the Darfur region, stressing that the Court has strong evidence linking the violations committed to the levels of leadership in the Rapid Support Militia.
Speaking to Reuters after visiting the victims of attacks in eastern Chad, Khan said the investigation was focused on crimes in the cities of Geneina and El Fasher over the past two years, noting that investigators had gathered testimony from victims who spoke of summary executions and systematic sexual violence, stressing the court's commitment to present these statements as part of the judicial proceedings.
This coincides with a Reuters documentary investigation that identified a number of Rapid Support militia leaders who participated in or were present in the attacks on the city of El Fasher, based on field interviews and analysis of online videos. The agency pointed out that the results of its investigation intersect with the course of the investigations of the International Criminal Court, and reinforced by testimonies and evidence converged.
Khan refused to disclose the names of the leaders under investigation or details of the next legal steps, but expressed confidence that the investigations will yield results within a reasonable period of time, stressing the continuation of the work of the court despite the continued control of the Rapid Support Militia on the two cities and lack of cooperation with the investigation teams.
In previous reports, UN experts have said that crimes committed in Darfur bear the “genocidal hallmarks”, particularly those targeting non-Arab tribal populations.