Mass grave with at least 87 bodies found in Sudan's volatile Darfur region, United Nations says
NBCJul 03, 2023
The Facts
The UN Joint Human Rights Office has received "credible reports" that at least 13 mass graves exist around the West Darfur city of El Geneina, claimed Sudan's UN envoy Volker Perthes as he announced his resignation on Wednesday.
In his final speech to the UN Security Council, Perthes alleged that the mass graves contained victims of attacks by the paramilitary RSF and allied Arab militias on civilians and, "if verified, may constitute war crimes."
The Spin
Narrative A
The atrocities in Darfur show that the conflict between the Sudanese military and the RSF is on the verge of full escalation. While neither side appears close to a decisive military victory, the conflict could now escalate into a full-blown civil war. Both sides are guilty of crimes against civilians and must be held accountable.
Narrative B
Twenty years after Darfur dominated the headlines, the RSF is perpetrating systematic genocide and exploiting the chaos to continue the ethnic cleansing of Darfur from the African tribes. The international community must exhaust all means to end the atrocities.