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Sudan.. Weapons Smuggling File Across Chadian Border Reaches International Forums
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Sudanese legal action against Chad represents a qualitative shift in the crisis path, opening the door for holding states supporting rebel militias accountable
Sudanese authorities initiated a new legal path in the internal conflict by filing an official complaint against Chad with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.
Sudanese Justice Minister Moawia Osman Mohamed Khair highlighted in press statements their submission of evidence including documents and video footage confirming N'Djamena's involvement in supporting the Rapid Support Forces militia, making it jointly responsible for committed violations.
Osman added that the African Commission's acceptance of the complaint would allow for similar cases to be filed in regional and international political and legal forums.
The Sudanese government began demanding compensation from its western neighbor after accusing it of involvement in smuggling weapons and ammunition to rebel militias.
N'Djamena denied the accusations last month through its Foreign Minister Abderrahman Koulamallah, who told RFI radio, "Chad has no interest in fueling the war in Sudan through arms supplies, as we are among the few countries that have been greatly affected by this war."
The two countries share a 1,300-kilometer border strip with Darfur states in western Sudan, where the Rapid Support Forces militia extends its influence over most of the region.
The UN organization uses the Adre border crossing between the two countries to deliver humanitarian aid to Darfur, which is threatened by famine.
Khartoum granted approval in August to operate the crossing for a three-month period ending November 15, with no extension decision issued yet.
Sudan has been witnessing an armed conflict since mid-April 2023 between the armed forces led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces militia led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 11 million people, including 3.1 million who crossed borders, according to International Organization for Migration statistics, causing one of the worst humanitarian crises in contemporary history.
Levant-Agencies
