The Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Nizat Shamim Khan, confirmed before the UN Security Council that the Prosecution Office concluded that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in the city of El Fasher, North Darfur State, especially during the month of October, at the height of the siege imposed on the city.
She explained that the general picture of what happened was “horrific,” and indicated widespread, organized mass crime, noting that the court’s investigations into the El Fasher and El Geneina crimes had moved to the stage of identifying those responsible, while working to collect what is known as “linking evidence” in preparation for submitting requests to issue arrest warrants under Article (58) of the Rome Statute.
Khan pointed out that any new arrest warrants will remain confidential in their early stages, while the crimes continue to be documented. He also pointed out that there has been significant progress in the cooperation of the Government of Sudan with the Darfur investigations by facilitating visits and collecting evidence, in exchange for limited cooperation from the Rapid Support Forces, as only one out of three requests for assistance submitted by the Prosecution Office was implemented.
