Geneva – Human Rights Council,
30 September 2025
As part of 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/81) exposing the grave escalation of violations committed by the
Sudanese Armed Forces and allied militias, most notably the systematic use of chemical and
internationally banned weapons against innocent civilians in wide areas of Sudan, particularly
in Darfur, Khartoum, and Al-Jazira.
The statement affirmed that these violations amount to war crimes and crimes against
humanity under international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute. Field reports and
eyewitness testimonies documented civilians suffering from suffocation, severe burns, and
acute respiratory injuries caused by exposure to toxic substances. The coalition stressed that
these crimes constitute a blatant breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention and other
international agreements protecting civilians.
The statement also highlighted that indiscriminate bombardment of medical facilities,
schools, and marketplaces with large-scale, inaccurate weaponry has destroyed over 90% of
health facilities in Khartoum and Darfur. This has had a devastating impact on the right to
life, health, and human dignity.
The coalition further warned of a prevailing climate of total impunity in Sudan, where no
official investigations have been opened against military leaders involved in these atrocities.
Instead, some have been rewarded with positions of power and honors, while state judicial
institutions remain incapable of fulfilling their obligations. This, the coalition argued,
necessitates urgent international intervention to activate transitional justice mechanisms.
In conclusion, the coalition called on the Human Rights Council to issue a clear and
unequivocal condemnation of the Sudanese Army’s use of internationally banned weapons, to
establish an independent international investigative and documentation mechanism, and to
refer the crimes to the International Criminal Court. It also urged the immediate imposition of
a ban on the export of dual-use materials that could be exploited to manufacture prohibited
weapons. The coalition further stressed the need to provide redress mechanisms for victims,
including medical treatment, psychological and social support, and to guarantee unimpeded
humanitarian access.
The coalition concluded by affirming that the continued use of prohibited weapons in Sudan
represents a dangerous turning point in the record of contemporary conflicts, testing the
credibility of the Human Rights Council and its capacity to protect civilians and enforce
international law. Silence, it warned, does not mean neutrality but constitutes complicity with
the crime.