The International Criminal Court (ICC) has revealed there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed in western Sudan. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday,July 10,ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan described the suffering in the region as “difficult to put into words”. Highlighting widespread violence,particularly against civilians,since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
One of the most harrowing findings from the ICC’s investigation is the targeted sexual violence against women and girls belonging to specific ethnic groups. These revelations form part of a broader pattern of systematic abuse,as uncovered through testimonies gathered from survivors who fled to neighboring Chad. The Deputy Prosecutor described this as an “inescapable pattern of offending,” underlining the gravity and scale of atrocities committed.
The ICC,which was granted jurisdiction by the UN Security Council to investigate crimes in Darfur two decades ago,launched a renewed probe in 2023 in light of the fresh civil war. While the United States formally declared in January 2025 that the RSF and affiliated militias had committed genocide,the RSF has categorically denied involvement in such crimes. The ICC continues to gather evidence as it prepares potential prosecutions.
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