Geneva / Human Rights Council
3 October 2025
During the ongoing 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Sudanese human rights organizations delivered a powerful statement under agenda item 9, drawing urgent attention to systematic racist violations committed by the Sudanese army and allied militias. The statementhighlighted atrocities such as mass arrests, ethnic cleansing campaigns, the denial of humanitarian assistance, and the targeting of ethnic communities based on tribal and racial identity, read as follows:
Mr. President,
The Sudanese army and its allied militias, such as the Sudan Shield Forces and the Shadow
Battalions, bear criminal responsibility for the systematic violations committed against
civilians in Sudan, based on racial discrimination. These include ethnic cleansing campaigns
targeting Black populations in western and central Sudan, as well as the enactment of
discriminatory legislation—such as the so-called “Foreign Faces Law”—used to justify
blatant violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination.
Mr. President,
This discrimination is rooted in an institutional system that marginalizes minorities through
the denial of basic services and the absence of political representation. Hate speech is also
used to legitimize killings, displacement, and arbitrary detention on the basis of ethnic
identity. These racially-motivated violations are further exacerbated by the conditions of war
and displacement.
Mr. President,
We call upon the Human Rights Council to issue a clear condemnation of these racially-based
crimes, to mandate the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the
International Fact-Finding Mission to prepare a dedicated report on the ethnic dimension of
these violations, and to support transitional justice programs while ensuring the
representation of minorities in peace building. We stress that the absence of justice will only
lead to further fragmentation and hatred within Sudanese society.
Thank you, Mr. President.
This intervention exposed the Sudanese army’s direct role in orchestrating and enabling racist violations that amount to ethnic cleansing, including the January 2025 massacre in Wad Madani and Kanabi. By demanding international sanctions, accountability, and protection for survivors, Sudanese human rights groups sent a strong message to the Human Rights Council: impunity must end, and justice for victims of racial persecution in Sudan can no longer be delayed.