Sudan violence: US condemns ongoing human rights violations
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Washington: The US State Department said the violence in Sudan's West Darfur region is an "ominous reminder" of previous genocide and condemned the human rights violations.
"The atrocities occurring today in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur," said an official statement.
"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing human rights violations and abuses and horrific violence in Sudan, especially reports of widespread sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity in West Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias," said spokesperson Matthew Miller.
"While the atrocities taking place in Darfur are primarily attributable to the RSF and affiliated militia, both sides have been responsible for abuses," he added.
The paramilitary RSF and regular army the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are fighting for control.
Residents have been sheltering indoors and are afraid that they will be dead upon even leaving home to get food and water. The violence that began 20 years ago has already left 30,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Back then, the central government had allowed the RSF to fight the rebelling non-Arab tribes and the country has since seen ethnicity-based killings.