By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – Sudanese refugees in Uganda on Thurdsday have shared distressing accounts of the ongoing conflict in Sudan with the UN International Fact-Finding Mission investigating human rights abuses in the country.
The mission visited Uganda from 1 to 18 December, met around 200 refugees from various Sudanese states, highlighting the severe impact of the conflict on civilians.
Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, expressed concern over the dire conditions faced by millions of Sudanese refugees trapped in camps.
“They have no means or employment while waiting desperately to be able to return to their home country,” he said.
Uganda hosts over 50,000 refugees, the experts encountered refugees from Khartoum, Blue Nile, Darfur, Gezira, Kordofan, and White Nile.
They documented the devastating effects of the conflict, including the siege of El Fasher in North Darfur has led to widespread destruction, killings, and sexual violence.
Women refugees recounted increased miscarriages and sexual harassment, often by individuals wearing uniforms of the RSF militia, which has been battling Government troops since war erupted in April last year.
The mission noted that 26 million Sudanese need humanitarian aid, with three million facing acute hunger.
Over 11 million are internally displaced, and nearly three million have fled the country, including 64,000 to Uganda since April 2023.
The Fact-Finding Mission called for international support for Uganda and other host countries to ensure refugees have access to basic necessities and can live with dignity.
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