Lawyers: Militia Attack on Kordofan Villages Amounts to a War Crime

North Kordofan – Sudanhorizon
The Emergency Lawyers Group has condemned the Rapid Support Forces Militia attacks on the villages of Markaz al-Ziyadiya and Lamina al-Ziyadiya in North Kordofan State, which resulted in the deaths of at least 18 civilians and the injury of dozen others.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the group said that the two villages, located south of the Umm Kuraidhim area, were subjected to an armed attack by militia members on Thursday. The villagers were subjected to widespread abuses, looting of property, and the abduction of civilian, mostly young men.
The lawyers emphasized that civilians carrying weapons within their villages for self-protection purposes remain protected under international humanitarian law unless they directly participate in hostilities, and that targeting them before that constitutes an unlawful attack and a grave violation amounting to a war crime. The group held the Rapid Support Forces fully responsible for targeting civilians, calling for an end to these attacks and ensuring their protection.
It also demanded an urgent investigation and the prosecution of those responsible for these crimes before international justice mechanisms. It also called for immediate measures to protect remote villages devoid of regular forces and to ensure the unhindered delivery of medical and humanitarian aid to the civilian victims and the affected areas.

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