Khartoum: In her capacity as Chairperson of the National Committee for Investigation into Crimes and Violations of National Law and International Humanitarian Law and Head of the Delegation of the Republic of Sudan, Attorney General Intisar Ahmed Abdel-Aal addressed the Human Rights Council on Monday during the interactive dialogue on Sudan, held as part of the Council's 63rd session.
According to Sudan News Agency, she presented a briefing on the key findings of the National Committee's fifth interim report and the measures it has taken in the areas of fact-finding, evidence and complaint collection, and investigations, with the aim of achieving justice, providing redress to victims, ensuring accountability and preventing impunity.
The Attorney General stressed that Sudan's participation in the session was solely intended to brief Council members on the national efforts undertaken, reaffirming Sudan's firm position regarding the resolution establishing the Fact-Finding Mission.
She referred to recent reports issued by a number of United Nations organizations, bodies and mechanisms, as well as states, concerning the nature of the war in Sudan. She said the external support flowing to the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia from its sponsor, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), represented the main reason for prolonging the war and the continued commission of atrocities and violations.
The Attorney General welcomed the reports for explicitly identifying the militia's sponsor by name, stressing that the evidence conclusively established required the immediate condemnation of, and decisive action against, the United Arab Emirates to halt this blatant aggression - now, not tomorrow - in order to prevent further crimes and violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
Regarding calls by some parties to expand the arms embargo, the Attorney General said such proposals amounted to an overt adoption of the demands of the 'terrorist militia.'
The Attorney General also briefed the Council on the ongoing political developments in Sudan, referring to the launch of preparatory steps for the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue announced by the President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), the holding of the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the dialogue, and the guarantees and immunities provided to participants to ensure that it is conducted freely and transparently.
She also noted the welcome extended to the dialogue by both the African Union and the League of Arab States, stressing that the paths of peace and justice complement one another.
With respect to the work of the National Committee, she explained that improved security conditions and the restoration of security and stability by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in several areas had enabled the Committee to expand its access to victims and witnesses and receive complaints.
Intisar Abdel-Aal said the number of registered criminal cases had reached 153,112, including 391 cases involving members of regular forces whose immunity had been lifted, which, she said, reflected the Committee's independence and its ability to conduct investigations without discrimination.
She revealed that 6,862 cases had been dismissed during the investigation stage, while investigations had been completed in 22,608 cases, which were referred to national courts. A total of 10,733 cases has so far been adjudicated.
The Committee has also documented 2,261 cases of rape and 15,227 cases of detention and enforced disappearance. The number of deaths documented by the Committee stood at 32,622, while 46,443 injuries were recorded.
In concluding her statement, the Attorney General called on the Human Rights Council and United Nations mechanisms to apply the principle of complementarity and support the work of the National Committee of Investigation rather than imposing an external mechanism. She said such support would strengthen Sudan's efforts to achieve justice, accountability and redress for victims, renewing her call for immediate measures to halt external support for the militia.