The Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has stated there are “reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity” are still being committed in Darfur, the war-torn region in western Sudan.
Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan told the United Nations Security Council, “Based on our independent investigations, the position of our Office is clear: we have reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been and are being committed in Darfur.” She did not name specific individuals or groups suspected of perpetrating these crimes.
Khan explained that this conclusion is based on extensive activities carried out by the Office over the past six months, as well as in earlier periods.
She noted that ICC investigators have recently focused on crimes committed in western Darfur, including interviews with victims who fled to neighboring Chad.
Addressing the Security Council, the Fijian judge said, “We are meeting at a time when it seems difficult to find the right words to describe the scale of suffering in Darfur.”
She highlighted that “the humanitarian situation has become unbearable: hospitals, humanitarian convoys, and other civilian targets all appear to be under attack. Famine is worsening, and aid is not reaching those in desperate need. People are being deprived of water and food. Rape and sexual violence are being used as weapons. Kidnappings for ransom or to recruit for armed groups have become common.”
Khan warned that the situation could deteriorate further: “Things may get even worse.”
The ICC launched its initial investigation into crimes committed during the early 2000s Darfur civil war — which resulted in nearly 300,000 deaths — following a 2005 UN Security Council resolution.
In 2023, the court opened a new investigation into suspected war crimes committed in the region since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
The ICC is expected to issue its first verdict soon related to crimes committed in Darfur two decades ago, in the case of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb. His trial concluded in late 2024.
Commenting on this, Khan said, “To those on the ground in Darfur today who are committing unimaginable atrocities against the population, I want to be clear: they may feel immune from accountability — as Ali Kushayb once did — but we are working diligently to ensure his trial is only the first.” However, she declined to provide further details on ongoing investigations, affirming that “tangible, positive, and significant progress” has been made.
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