Amnesty International has celebrated this Saturday the "breakthrough" announced by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the investigations into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated in the Sudanese region of Darfur, and has called for increased international support for accountability mechanisms for the abuses committed during the conflict.
"It is great that the ICC says it has achieved a 'breakthrough' in its investigation in Darfur," the organization stated in a brief statement released on social media this weekend.
The NGO recalled that, in a report made public last week, it concluded that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out eight crimes against humanity and acts of ethnic cleansing in North Darfur state, and identified three commanders of the group as directly responsible for these abuses.
In this context, Amnesty International has urged the international community to unreservedly support initiatives aimed at demanding accountability for violations of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in Sudan, "including the work of the ICC."
The organization's stance comes after the International Criminal Court stated that it had achieved a significant "breakthrough" in the investigations into alleged crimes committed in Darfur.
As explained to the BBC by the court's Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Nazhat Shameem Khan, the investigation has made it possible to gather "concrete evidence" linking leaders of the Rapid Support Forces to the abuses perpetrated during the conflict.
In statements reported by the British broadcaster, Khan affirmed that the investigations have made it possible to establish connections between the evidence gathered on the ground and specific individuals holding command positions within the RSF, although she avoided specifying when eventual charges might be formalized.
"It may take time for justice to be done and for cases to reach the courts, but we will achieve it," she assured, before insisting that the court has registered a "major breakthrough" in the investigation.
Both the ICC and a recent United Nations investigative mission have pointed out, as the same outlet recalls, that the RSF would be behind a large part of the systematic attacks against the civilian population in Darfur, including acts that could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the paramilitary group denies having carried out widespread killings. The court's investigation is based on testimonies from victims and witnesses, as well as audiovisual material and forensic evidence.