N’Djamena, Chad July 9 (Running Africa) — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced a major breakthrough in its investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sudan’s ongoing conflict in Darfur, saying investigators have uncovered significant new evidence linking senior leaders to some of the war’s deadliest atrocities.

The conflict erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), triggering one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

Darfur, already scarred by the 2003 conflict in which government-backed militias were accused of widespread atrocities against non-Arab communities, has once again become the epicenter of large-scale violence.

The ICC’s investigation is focused on attacks in al-Geneina in 2023 and al-Fashir in 2024, two of the bloodiest episodes of the current war. United Nations experts have previously stated that the attacks displayed the hallmarks of genocide targeting non-Arab ethnic groups.

Speaking on the progress of the investigation, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said investigators have collected substantial new evidence connecting alleged crimes on the ground to senior leadership figures.

According to the ICC, witness testimonies describe mass killings, summary executions, widespread sexual violence, and the forced displacement of civilians, painting a devastating picture of the conflict’s human toll.

The court said establishing command responsibility between senior officials and atrocities committed by fighters is a critical step toward future prosecutions and accountability.

Although the ICC has not yet announced any new public arrest warrants, prosecutors say the latest evidence marks significant progress and could pave the way for future legal action against those allegedly responsible.

The investigation underscores growing international efforts to secure justice for victims of the Sudan conflict and hold perpetrators accountable as violence continues to devastate Darfur and displace millions across the country.