The United Nations Human Rights Council issued a formal condemnation on Monday addressing violence against civilians in Sudan, adopting a resolution that extends the mandate of its independent fact-finding mission through a vote of 28 to 10, with nine member states abstaining. The 47-member council emphasized that military action cannot resolve the underlying conflict and called for immediate action by all parties involved.
The resolution demanded an immediate and complete ceasefire without preconditions, alongside the establishment of an independent monitoring mechanism and efforts to restore essential infrastructure and services. It documented serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, specifically referencing indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations and aerial bombardments affecting schools and hospitals. UN data indicated that drone strikes alone resulted in more than 1,100 deaths during the first five months of the year, reflecting a sharp escalation in the use of such weapons by both sides in recent months.
The conflict between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces commenced in April 2023 and has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 13 million people according to human rights organizations. The council additionally expressed concern regarding external involvement in the conflict, noting that illicit financial networks, unauthorized arms shipments and foreign military personnel continue to sustain the fighting.
The fact-finding mission previously concluded that the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher, the North Darfur capital, following a prolonged siege displayed characteristics consistent with genocide. Investigators documented systematic deprivation of food and supplies to civilians, mass executions, targeted ethnic killings of non-Arab populations, widespread sexual assault and deliberate damage to medical infrastructure.
Separately, the World Food Programme reported that a humanitarian convoy transporting food supplies sustained an airstrike in North Kordofan, resulting in one fatality and destroying humanitarian assistance. The agency stressed that the vehicles displayed official humanitarian identification markings and called for investigation into the incident.
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