Geneva – Human Rights Council, 30 September 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/89) exposing the grave violations and crimes committed by the
Sudanese Armed Forces and allied militias against civilians since the outbreak of armed
conflict in April 2023.
The statement stressed that 2024 witnessed an unprecedented escalation of atrocities, with
independent reports documenting systematic patterns of indiscriminate killings, rape, forced
displacement, and ethnic cleansing, particularly in Darfur, Al-Jazira, Sennar, and Kordofan. It
emphasized that these crimes are not the result of military errors but rather a deliberate policy
to punish local communities, especially those belonging to ethnic groups perceived as
opposing the army.
The statement further noted the direct targeting of civilians through aerial and artillery
bombardments, as well as the destruction of schools, hospitals, and markets, in blatant
violation of international humanitarian law. It also highlighted the use of sexual violence as a
weapon of war, citing numerous testimonies of gang rapes carried out by soldiers and militias
inside homes and in front of families.
According to the statement, what is happening in Darfur amounts to acts of ethnic cleansing,
targeting the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa communities in a systematic plan to drive them from
their lands. Journalists and human rights defenders, it added, have faced arbitrary arrests,
enforced disappearances, and even assassinations, while authorities deliberately shut down
internet access and isolated cities to conceal evidence of these crimes.
The statement underscored the complete absence of accountability within Sudan, noting that
some officers implicated in these violations have even been promoted to senior positions,
further entrenching a culture of impunity.
In conclusion, the coalition urged the Human Rights Council to issue a clear condemnation of
these systematic violations, recognize them as crimes against humanity, and strengthen the
mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Sudan to include investigation and accountability.
It called for an independent international investigation in coordination with the International
Criminal Court, an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and the protection
of journalists and human rights defenders. The coalition further emphasized the necessity of
ensuring victims’ and affected communities’ participation in any future political process.
The coalition warned that the continuation of these atrocities amid international silence
undermines the credibility of the global human rights system, making urgent international
action essential to end this tragedy and ensure justice for the victims.