UN Commission of Inquiry publishes serious report on violations and calls for deployment o

UN Commission of Inquiry publishes serious report on violations and calls for deployment of international protection force

The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan said in a statement that the warring parties in Sudan have committed a horrific array of human rights violations and international crimes, including many that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In its first report today, it indicated that both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, as well as their allies, are responsible for patterns of widespread violations, including indiscriminate and direct attacks carried out through airstrikes and shelling against civilians. Schools, hospitals, communications networks, and vital water and electricity supplies.

The report confirmed that the warring parties targeted civilians - as well as those who assist survivors or document violations - through rape and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, as well as torture and ill-treatment.

The report found that these violations may amount to war crimes related to violence against life and person and committing outrages upon personal dignity.

“The gravity of these findings underscores the need for urgent and immediate action to protect civilians,” said Mohamed Chande Osman, head of the fact-finding mission.

“Given the failure of the warring parties to rescue civilians, it is imperative that an independent, impartial force with a mandate to protect civilians is deployed without delay,” Osman said.

“The protection of civilians is paramount, and all parties must comply with their obligations under international law and immediately and unconditionally cease all attacks on civilians.”

The report also found reasonable grounds to believe that the RSF and allied militias committed additional war crimes of rape, sexual slavery and pillage, as well as ordering the displacement of civilians and recruiting children under the age of 15 into hostilities. The horrific attacks by the RSF and its allies against non-Arab communities – particularly the Masalit in and around El Geneina, West Darfur – included killings, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, destruction of property and looting.

There are also reasonable grounds to believe that the actions committed by the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias amount to multiple crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, enslavement, rape, sexual slavery and other acts of sexual violence of comparable gravity, persecution on the basis of ethnicity or race, gender targeting, and forced displacement.

The conflict, which has spread to 14 of Sudan’s 18 states, has killed and injured tens of thousands of civilians, displaced nearly 8 million people, and forced another 2 million to flee to neighboring countries. The report said that the warring parties have exacerbated the crisis by obstructing humanitarian access.

“The people of Sudan have suffered an unimaginable tragedy,” said expert member Joy Ngozi Ezeilo. “Priority must be given to a sustainable ceasefire to stop the fighting involving civilians, and to enable the effective delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance to all those in need, regardless of their location.”

The report – issued by the Human Rights Council when it established the fact-finding mission in October 2023 – was drawn from investigations conducted between January and August 2024. These investigations included visits to Chad, Kenya and Uganda, direct testimony from 182 survivors, family members and eyewitnesses, extensive consultations with experts and members of civil society, and corroboration and analysis of additional information provided to the mission.

The report recommended that the existing arms embargo on Darfur, pursuant to Security Council resolution 1556 (2004) and subsequent resolutions, be extended to all of Sudan to stop the supply of arms, ammunition and other forms of logistical or financial support to the warring parties and prevent further escalation. The report warned that those supplying arms may be complicit in serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

The report said that the Sudanese authorities should cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court and hand over all indicted persons, including former President Al-Bashir. The jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, established by Security Council resolution 1593 (2005) on the situation in Darfur, should also be extended to the entire territory of Sudan.

The Commission said that efforts by the Sudanese authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible for international crimes have been marred by a lack of will, selective justice and a lack of integrity, and that achieving accountability for victims will be extremely difficult.

The report also called for the establishment of a separate international judicial mechanism that would work alongside and complement the ICC.

“These findings should serve as a wake-up call for the international community to take decisive action to support survivors, their families and affected communities, and to hold perpetrators accountable,” said expert member Mona Rishmawi. “A comprehensive approach to transitional justice is vital to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure accountability.”

Osman commended the various efforts made to bring the parties to the negotiating table, saying that “the people of Sudan deserve a future of peace, prosperity and respect for human rights.”

“The international community must support Sudan’s aspirations for an inclusive and representative civilian government that respects the rights of all citizens,” Osman said. “This support is essential to advance the path towards equality, justice and sustainable peace in Sudan.”