By: Kylie Edmundson

After travelling throughout Sudan and conducting various interviews, the COI has come to a conclusion on the violence that erupted in Darfur during the Second Sudanese Civil War. The COI reports that the Sudanese military is guilty of crimes against humanity, with the Sudanese Government guilty of intentional genocide on the people of the Fur, Masasalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups. 

Interviews in Al Fashir, Khartoum and Chad have aided the commissioners in their investigation. Commissioner Ava Pietryga of Fiji said, “I am particularly focused on our interviews with a rebel force leader, a militia mobilizer and internally displaced persons in Darfur. Multiple of these sources allege involvement of the Sudanese government in attacks against civilians, including through proceeding militia attacks with bombing.” 

Interviews with internally displaced persons have also made a big impact in the final report. Commissioner Teodoro Gummons of Egypt said, “Reading interviews (…) provided first hand accounts on the terror happening in Sudan and how extreme it became for women and children. This is what we believe constitutes a genocide.” 

The COI’s final report, “Findings of the Commission of Inquiry on Darfur,” states the commissioners “concluded that the Government of Sudan, directing and collaborating with the Janjaweed, and headed by President Omar Al-Bashir, has committed acts that constitute, under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the crime of genocide.” (p. 12). These findings are due to evidence of mass displacement with a high death toll, the declaration of the land being “Arab lands,” the destruction of villages and resources and other tactics used against non-Arab groups. 

As genocide is one of the most serious allegations the COI can make against the Sudanese government and participating parties, Commissioner Jon Walls of Malta says, “The COI recommended to the [International Criminal Court] ICC that [President Omar] Al-Bashir be tried for his crimes…It also recommended a Criminal Tribunal to try all those involved in these crimes.” Additionally, the COI has recommended extending work done towards peace and resolution in the area. The COI’s final report states that their third and final recommendation to the Security Council is, “To continuously facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to the region of Darfur and demand the Ceasefire of April 2004 negotiated in N’Djamena be upheld as reiterated in Security Council Resolution 1556 (S/RES/1556) of July 30, 2004” (p. 13).

The COI took their time in gathering a variety of evidence from a multitude of sources, as well as from their own investigations. Their report, “Findings of the Commission of Inquiry on Darfur,” gives a look into this monumental decision, as well as what they recommend to come as a result. Only time will tell how such a large accusation will affect the region, its peoples, future peace and governance.