Geneva / Human Rights Council
During the Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, under agenda item 9 of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Sudanese human rights organizations sounded the alarm over the worsening situation in Sudan. They reported that the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied militias are committing grave human rights violations marked by ethnic discrimination and exclusionary policies that amount to ethnic cleansing.
The statement presented reads as follows:
Mr. President,
Sudan is witnessing a tragic situation due to severe human rights violations, where the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied militias perpetrate multiple forms of discrimination based on origin and ethnicity. These practices have manifested in ethnic cleansing campaigns, denial of humanitarian aid to specific groups, and the direct targeting of civilians based on their tribal or geographic affiliation, constituting a blatant violation of the principles of equality and non-discrimination.
Mr. President,
These policies have resulted in the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands, severe violations against women, and the denial of food and healthcare to targeted communities, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. This highlights the critical importance of establishing a strong legal and institutional framework grounded in equality and tolerance.
Mr. President,
We call upon this Council to take urgent action to hold the Sudanese army and allied militias accountable for these crimes, ensure unhindered access of humanitarian aid to all affected populations, and expand the mandate of UN monitoring and investigative mechanisms to document these violations. We also emphasize the necessity of strengthening international efforts to promote a culture of equality and non-discrimination, ensuring the protection of all peoples from exclusionary policies and ethnic cleansing.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The intervention shed light on the deliberate ethnic dimension of Sudan’s conflict, where entire communities are being denied aid, displaced, and directly targeted. By stressing forced displacement, sexual violence, and the deprivation of food and healthcare, the statement underscored how discrimination is being weaponized to deepen the humanitarian catastrophe.
The call for accountability, expanded UN investigative mandates, and the promotion of equality framed the crisis not only as a humanitarian emergency but also as a fundamental test of the international community’s resolve to uphold the principles of non-discrimination and protect vulnerable populations from ethnic cleansing.