A/HRC/45/53 seized assets located in the Sudan that belonged to the family of the ousted President and that were reportedly valued at approximately $4 billion. The Committee also terminated contracts with several companies that were owned by the ousted President’s affiliates and that were operating businesses at Khartoum International Airport. 51. The Independent Expert also notes that the law establishing the Dismantling Committee was amended on 30 April 2020, reportedly towards widening the scope of the Committee’s dismissal power to target “State” entities rather than “Government” entities. Thus, the Dismantling Committee has the right to dismiss all public employees, including those serving in the judiciary and on independent commissions. 52. There are some concerns that the decisions of the Dismantling Committee might degenerate into political purges. If this were the case, such processes would undermine reconciliation, rather than reinforce human rights and the rule of law, and could create resentment among those affected by the process. The Independent Expert urges the Government to ensure that international human rights standards are respected throughout the process and that the implementation of a rights-abiding vetting process is put in place in order to avoid political misuse and ensure access to justice for those affected by the Committee’s decisions. 53. According to information received, the Special Appeal Committee confirmed on 16 March 2020 that 82 complaints against its decisions had been lodged. Those affected by its decisions are yet to receive information on the status of their appeals. The expert notes that the work of the courts has been suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, except for cases of an urgent nature, which do not include the cases mandated by the Dismantling Committee. H. 1. Human rights situation in conflict-affected areas Darfur 54. Darfur continues to experience a multitude of human rights and humanitarian crises, despite the seeming reduction of the frequency and intensity of violence. Eleven months into the transition, Darfur is still governed by military commanders who were appointed by the former regime in February 2019. Despite some progress at the federal level, the prolonged political vacuum in Darfur has resulted in what appears to be a “wait-and-see” attitude adopted by State authorities, who by virtue of the temporary nature of their appointments, continue to disengage from key governance and human rights issues, including the security, safety and well-being of civilians. While the human rights and protection challenges in Darfur are multifaceted and, in some ways, interlinked, major concerns are related to the persistent attacks against civilians and the parallel complicity of State security entities; fragility; weak governance institutions; and the situation of judicial entities. 55. Civilians, in particular internally displaced persons, continue to suffer the brunt of violent attacks, physical assaults, harassment, intimidation, extortion and sexual violence by armed groups and State security entities. The Independent Expert received credible information that on 29 December 2019, an internally displaced person from the Masalit ethnic group stabbed an Arab man at the Krinding camp for internally displaced persons, located in El Geneina, West Darfur, following a personal dispute. In retaliation for the killing, an armed group from Arab tribes, supported by the Rapid Support Forces, launched a full-scale attack against internally displaced persons in two camps in El Geneina. In total, 89 civilians were killed, 140 injured and at least 40,000 were displaced. Since then, internally displaced persons in El Geneina and the Masalit community in the surrounding villages have repeatedly voiced concerns over their continued vulnerability and lack of confidence in law enforcement authorities. Sources also reported that an armed group – primarily from the Masalit tribe based in the Silik mountain area in Central Darfur – killed two Arabs on 26 March 2020, which triggered retaliatory attacks from a group of Arab nomads on 29 and 30 March and resulted in the burning of the Balla, Thur-Bogoj and Soola-Morrei villages in Azoum locality, Central Darfur. 11