UN rights council adopt fact-finding investigation in Sudan
UNHCR in South Sudan
The UN Rights Council (UNHRC) convened an emergency session on 14th November in Geneva to address the situation in El-Fasher, Sudan, according to a Reuters report.
They are set to adopt a resolution for a fact-finding mission that will investigate the mass slaughter in El-Fasher, particularly the perpetrators among the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies.
El-Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s western Darfur region, was among the last cities under military control since the civil war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the UAE-backed RSF rebel group. The situation has deteriorated since 2024, and it has worsened even further since El-Fasher was captured by the RSF.
In the opening statement of the session, the UN Human Rights chief urged the international community to take action. The High Commissioner, Volker Turk, said, “There has been too much pretence and performance, and too little action. It must stand up against these atrocities – a display of naked cruelty used to subjugate and control an entire population.”
In October, the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab had reported that satellite imagery showed evidence of mass killings of civilians in El-Fasher by the RSF. A humanitarian aid officer had also reported at the time that more than 2,000 civilians were killed in El-Fasher, including volunteers inside mosques and the Red Crescent.
The RSF rejected claims of targeting civilians or obstructing humanitarian aid, attributing any such incidents to rogue elements.
The draft resolution under consideration has strongly condemned ethnic violence and the use of rape as a weapon of war by the RSF and its allies. The resolution has also been supported by the UK, the European Union, Norway, and Ghana, who believe that violence in Sudan could lead to regional instability.
Mona Rishmawi, a member of the U.N.’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, cited instances of rape, killings, and torture, emphasising the need for a comprehensive investigation to uncover the full extent of the atrocities.
She reported that RSF forces had “turned Al-Fashir University into a killing ground,” where thousands of civilians had been seeking refuge. Witnesses also described bodies piling up in the streets and trenches dug throughout the city, according to Rishmawi.
Sudan’s ambassador to the UN, Hassan Hamid Hassan, criticised the resolution because it does not investigate the role of external actors, stating that his country is facing an “existential war” due to the international community’s inaction. He called for pressure on the RSF and the UAE, just as Sudanese officials have repeatedly called for global action.
The UAE ambassador to the UN on 13th November strongly denied giving support to the RSF or any other parties. However, UN investigators have already proved the UAE’s role as credible in Sudan.
Reuters, Maghrebi.org
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