Sudanese security forces have continued to commit "war crimes and other serious human rights violations" in the Darfur region, Amnesty International said on Monday, as the African country has been rocked by political turmoil following the military's ouster of autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April.
Based on "disturbing new evidence, including satellite imagery," Amnesty said the abuses in Darfur at the hands of Sudanese paramilitary units, the Rapid Support Forces, include the destruction of entire villages, as well as "unlawful killings and sexual violence."
He urged the UN and the AU "not turn their backs on people in Darfur who rely on peacekeepers for protection."
He warned if the joint force, known as UNAMID, is dismantled and the peacekeepers pull out of Darfur, this "would recklessly and needlessly place tens of thousands of lives at risk by removing their only safeguard against the government's scorched earth campaign."
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