This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
On December 19, 2019, human rights groups urged Sudan's new leaders to bring justice to those responsible for war crimes committed in Darfur, nearly 17 years after the conflict began.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and other organizations released a report titled 'Will there be Justice for Darfur?' which documented ongoing violence in Sudan and called for accountability and reparation for victims.
The transitional government, installed after anti-government protests led to the fall of veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April, has pledged to end conflicts in regions including Darfur, where war between rebels and pro-government forces caused 300,000 deaths and displaced 2.5 million people since 2003.
Despite the new government's promises, Bashir, who was sentenced to two years' detention in Sudan for corruption, remains subject to arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Transitional authorities have not authorized Bashir's extradition to face trial at the ICC, with rights groups blaming the failure to bring Bashir and other suspects to international justice on a lack of national and regional political will.
Arnold Tsunga, Africa director for the International Commission of Jurists and former FIDH vice president, emphasized that authorities in Khartoum must 'not obscure past crimes' and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
