Geneva, A comprehensive report released by the UN Human Rights Office has laid bare the severe impact of the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan, revealing widespread violations and abuses by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict, which has ravaged the country since April 2023, has led to thousands of civilian casualties, extensive displacement, property looting, and forced conscription of children, with the fighting now spreading to additional regions of Sudan.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the report paints a grim picture of the situation in Sudan, documenting indiscriminate attacks in densely populated areas, including sites sheltering internally displaced people. The capital Khartoum, alongside Kordofan and Darfur, has been particularly affected during the conflict period covered by the report, from April to December 2023.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasized the devastating toll of the conflict on the Sudanese populace, underlining the urgent need for the cessation of hostilities and a return to civilian-led governance. Türk’s remarks underscore the critical necessity of breaking the cycle of impunity that precipitated the conflict and protecting civilians as a paramount concern.
The report’s findings are based on interviews with 303 victims and witnesses and supported by an analysis of visual evidence, including disturbing video footage depicting severe war crimes, such as the beheading of students by individuals in SAF uniforms. This brutal act, captured in North Kordofan State and disseminated on social media, starkly illustrates the conflict’s ethnic violence dimensions.
Both the SAF and RSF have been reported to use explosive weaponry in populated areas, resulting in significant civilian casualties. Specific incidents detailed in the report include missile strikes and artillery shelling in Khartoum and Omdurman, attributing these attacks to both sides of the conflict.
The situation in Darfur has been particularly dire, with RSF and allied militias targeting civilians, often based on ethnic affiliations. The report highlights multiple attacks in El-Geneina and other locations, resulting in mass casualties, including a mass grave in Ardamata.
The humanitarian fallout from the conflict is staggering, with over 8 million people displaced internally or into neighboring countries. The report also sheds light on sexual violence, primarily attributed to RSF members, and the recruitment of children into armed conflict, indicating a broader pattern of grave human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law.
High Commissioner Türk has called for immediate, transparent investigations into all alleged violations and abuses, emphasizing the need for accountability and justice for the victims. He also urged both conflict parties to facilitate unhindered access to humanitarian aid, underscoring the international community’s role in addressing the humanitarian catastrophe and restoring peace and stability in Sudan.