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Cover Up: New Evidence of Three Mass Graves in South Kordofan

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Cover Up: New Evidence of Three Mass Graves in South Kordofan

Posted by Tracy Fehr on August 17, 2011

Cover Up: New Evidence of Three Mass Graves in South Kordofan

Dovetailing with the recent U.N. report calling for investigations into human rights violations in Sudan, the Satellite Sentinel Project, or SSP, released a report today that identified three new alleged mass grave sites in and around Kadugli, the state capital of South Kordofan, where heavy fighting has taken place since June. The evidence of these mass graves is based on satellite imagery that has been corroborated by multiple eyewitness accounts.

These three new sites are in addition to the three mass graves previously identified in SSP’s July 14 report. According to the latest report, satellite images show irregular white bundles resembling body bags near two sites of recently disturbed earth. In satellite images taken weeks later, the position and number of white bundles change continually, suggesting that burial is ongoing. The report also pointed to evidence indicating that government-aligned forces attempted to cover up one of the alleged mass grave sites from satellite view:

In the Murta area, Government of Sudan-aligned forces appear to be concealing the presence of an alleged mass grave underneath a water tower near Kadugli, corroborating claims made in the 15 August UN human rights report on South Kordofan. These actions could constitute efforts by the Govern­ment of Sudan to actively conceal evidence of potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.

For an interactive map of where the six alleged mass graves are located, click here.

Photo: Satellite image of an alleged mass grave (Digital Globe)