The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk is extremely concerned by the escalating violence and hostilities in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah State, which are further exacerbating the risk of attacks against civilians, ethnically motivated violence and atrocity crimes, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango said on Tuesday. He was speaking at the bi-weekly UN press briefing in Geneva.
“UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is extremely concerned by the escalating hostilities and violence in Sudan. The violence is taking place in Al-Jazirah State,” he said.
“Since the defection of Abu Aqla Keikel, a commander in the Rapid Support Forces, to the Sudanese Armed Forces on 20 October, attacks by the RSF on villages in Al-Jazirah state have increased, apparently in retaliation for his defection and targeting members of his ethnic group,” he added.
“On Friday 25 October, at least 124 people were reportedly killed in an attack by RSF ground forces on Al-Seriha village,” he noted.
“This incident follows at least two other attacks by RSF ground forces on the nearby towns of Tamboul and Rufaa earlier in the week. Reports suggest hundreds of people were killed in Tamboul.” he said.
“They also indicate at least 25 cases of sexual violence in multiple villages in Sharq Al Gazira locality, including of three medical personnel and an 11-year-old girl, who died as a result,” he added.
Speaking at the at the biweekly UN press briefing in Geneva, Magango said, “As a result of the violence, thousands of families have reportedly been displaced from Al-Jazirah state into the neighbouring states of Gedaref and Kassala, adding to the already dire displacement crisis in the country,” said the spokesperson.
“There are also reports of burning of crops. At a time when over 25 million Sudanese are facing acute food insecurity because of the ongoing conflict, destruction of crops in a region considered the country’s breadbasket can only exacerbate an already catastrophic situation,” he said.
“UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reiterates his call on all parties to strictly respect their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, in particular by ensuring the protection of civilians,” said Magango.
“The leaders of both sides must promptly take all measures to de-escalate the situation,” he said
He also called for all alleged violations to be investigated and those responsible brought to justice, following fair trials.
Ends
STORY: UN Human Rights Spokesperson Seif Magango on escalating violence in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah State
TRT: 02:40
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 29 OCTOBER 2024 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shot: Palais des Nations
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is extremely concerned by the escalating hostilities and violence in Sudan. The violence is taking place in Al-Jazirah State.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Since the defection of Abu Aqla Keikel, a commander in the Rapid Support Forces, to the Sudanese Armed Forces on 20 October, attacks by the RSF on villages in Al-Jazirah state have increased, apparently in retaliation for his defection, and targeting members of his ethnic group.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “On Friday 25 October, at least 124 people were reportedly killed in an attack by RSF ground forces on Al-Seriha village.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “This incident follows at least two other attacks by RSF ground forces on the nearby towns of Tamboul and Rufaa earlier in the week. Reports suggest hundreds of people were killed in Tamboul.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “They indicate at least 25 cases of sexual violence in multiple villages in Sharq Al Gazira locality, including of three medical personnel and an 11-year-old girl, who died as a result.”
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “As a result of the violence, thousands of families have reportedly been displaced from Al-Jazirah state into the neighbouring states of Gedaref and Kassala, adding to the already dire displacement crisis in the country.
- Cut away: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): There are reports of burning of crops. At a time when over 25 million Sudanese are facing acute food insecurity because of the ongoing conflict, destruction of crops in a region considered the country’s breadbasket can only exacerbate an already catastrophic situation.”
- Cut away: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reiterates his call on all parties to strictly respect the obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, in particular by ensuring the protection of civilians.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The leaders of both sides must promptly take all measures to de-escalate the situation.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“Today marks the grim milestone of 1,000 days since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale armed attack on Ukraine. Our Office has verified that at least 12,162 civilians have been killed since 24 February 2022, among them 659 children. At least another 26,919 civilians have been injured,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurance told the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
With COP29 in Baku now in its second - and final - week, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has reiterated his call for urgent human rights-based climate action.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL , UNICEF , WHO
Lebanon: Increased violence along Blue Line and ‘horrific new normal’ for children
In southern Lebanon, peacekeepers have witnessed “shocking” destruction of villages along the Blue Line and ever-deeper Israeli ground incursions, while the situation of children across the country is becoming increasingly desperate, the UN said on Tuesday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | UNRWA
The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, confirmed on Monday that a large convoy of humanitarian aid was looted inside Gaza at the weekend, amid a near-total a breakdown in law and order and harassment of the agency’s staff by Israeli soldiers.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
In the nearly 1,000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, thousands of civilians have been killed, the country’s energy infrastructure is on the brink and drones terrify communities on the front line, the UN’s top aid official in the country said on Friday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
Mexican actor, producer and director Diego Luna took a break from the big screen on Thursday to highlight the dangers faced by journalists in his country and beyond, condemning murders of reporters everywhere as “a scandal”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
Gaza: ‘People are losing hope’ as aid access is refused to north, warns UNRWA
Besieged northern Gaza is a place of dead bodies lying in the streets and hospitals running out of blood packs – a situation that’s “nothing short of catastrophic”, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence & Ajith Sunghay, Head of UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, on Gaza
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
Sudan’s displaced have endured “unimaginable suffering” in their search for shelter from the country’s ongoing war, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘Exceptional achievement’: Humanitarians reach over 105,000 with polio vaccine in north Gaza
Despite ongoing attacks and access challenges, humanitarians have managed to inoculate over 105,000 children in north Gaza with the second and final dose of the oral polio vaccine, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
UN aid teams prepared to enter northern Gaza at the weekend to resume a mass polio vaccination campaign, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Lebanon: widescale displacement continues amid ongoing bombing
In south and east Lebanon civilians continue to face airstrikes, mass forced displacement and deprivation as the fight between Israel and Hezbollah militia goes on against the backdrop of war in Gaza.
In recent days, an estimated 50,000 people have left Baalbek heading mostly to areas in the north of the Bekaa Valley, said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office (OCHA).