ICC Caucus Statement on Sudan and Darfur Situation to UN Security Council

ICC Caucus Statement on Darfur

• 🌍 The ICC Caucus, representing member states of the Security Council and parties to the Rome Statute, delivered a statement on the situation in Darfur.
• 👏 Deep appreciation was extended to the Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Miss Nasad Shamim Khan, and her team for their 42nd report on the Darfur situation.

Landmark Conviction and Accountability

• ⚖️ A landmark development was the conviction and sentencing of Janjaweed leader Abd Alaman (Ali Kushup) for 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including executions, sexual violence, and forced displacement.
• 📌 This judgment is significant as the first conviction arising from a Security Council referral, the first in the Darfur situation, and the first for gender persecution at the ICC.
• 📢 The conviction sends a clear message that accountability is real, justice is possible, and victims are not forgotten.

Ongoing Investigations and Atrocities

• 🔍 The ICC Caucus welcomed the intensive investigations into widespread atrocity crimes in Aljania and the steps taken to collect and preserve evidence.
• ⚠️ The office's assessment indicates that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Alasia.
• ⚡ Efforts to identify perpetrators and attribute individual criminal responsibility for crimes in the current conflict phase, including in Alasia, are being accelerated.

Gender-Based Crimes and Cooperation

• 🚺 The Caucus highlighted the prioritization of investigations into gender-based crimes, noting that rape is being used as a weapon of war in Darfur.
• 🤝 Cooperation between the ICC office and UN partners, as well as the African Union fact-finding mission, was welcomed.
• 🇸🇩 Steps taken by Sudanese authorities in cooperating with the ICC office were acknowledged, with an emphasis on the need for concrete actions, including the arrest and surrender of suspects with outstanding ICC warrants.
• 🚫 Regret was expressed that the Rapid Support Forces have failed to meet their prior commitments to engage with the ICC office.

Support for the ICC

• 🏛️ The statement reaffirmed steadfast and unwavering support for the ICC as an independent and impartial judicial institution.
• 🛡️ Commitment was reiterated to uphold the Rome Statute's principles and defend the court's integrity against threats.