Geneva – 3 October 2025
During the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Coalition of
Sudanese Human Rights Organizations and Their International Allies submitted a
written statement (A/HRC/60/NGO/79) exposing the grave violations and horrific crimes
committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied militias against civilians in
Sudan, particularly in Darfur and the central and western states. The statement stressed that
these violations constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome
Statute.
The statement confirmed that the SAF used warplanes and heavy weaponry to bomb
residential areas in Al-Jazira, Sennar, North Kordofan, and White Nile states, killing
hundreds of civilians including women and children, and destroying schools, hospitals,
markets, and water and electricity stations. The army also supported tribal militias in Darfur
to launch campaigns of ethnic cleansing against the Fur, Zaghawa, and Masalit communities,
which included mass executions and leaving corpses exposed in public areas.
Women’s organizations and victim support centers documented shocking testimonies of gang
rape committed by SAF soldiers and allied militias in cities such as Geneina, Nyala, and
Omdurman, in flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian
law.
The statement further explained that military operations caused the displacement of more
than 8 million people internally and externally, while West Darfur witnessed systematic
ethnic cleansing aimed at displacing specific groups and replacing them with communities
loyal to the army.
The coalition also condemned campaigns of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and
extrajudicial killings targeting journalists and human rights defenders, in addition to the
raiding of humanitarian organizations’ offices, confiscation of their property, and cutting off
communications and internet access to obscure crimes and prevent documentation.
The statement emphasized that the Sudanese authorities have not opened any independent
investigations; instead, they have promoted the officers responsible for these atrocities,
reflecting a complete absence of political will to achieve justice.
In conclusion, the coalition called on the Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner
to:
Issue a clear and unequivocal condemnation of SAF violations and recognize them as
crimes against humanity.
Expand the mandate of the Special Rapporteur to include an independent investigative
mechanism covering crimes committed since 2023.
Accelerate the activation of international accountability mechanisms, including
referral to the International Criminal Court.
Ensure an immediate ceasefire and facilitate unrestricted humanitarian access.
Protect human rights defenders and journalists, and lift restrictions on independent
media.
Support peace initiatives that guarantee the representation of victims and local
communities, away from military arrangements.
The coalition affirmed that the continued silence of the international community in the face of
these crimes amounts to encouragement for perpetrators and undermines the credibility of the
Human Rights Council in protecting human dignity.