UN Notes Total Disregard for International Law by Sudan Conflict Parties

Nada Al-Nashif, the U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a sobering warning about the continuing violence in Sudan during the 57th session of the Human Rights Council gathered in Geneva. She underlined the concerning increase in sexual abuse used as a weapon of war and charged both warring groups of showing “total disregard for international law.”

Al-Nashif said that 97 incidences of sexual violence involving 172 victims—mostly women and girls—have been recorded since the start of the war in April 2023. Emphasizing the scope of unreported incidents, she said, “this is a gross under-representation of the reality.”

The Council conference covered several worldwide concerns including the repression of press freedoms and the retreat of women’s rights. But Sudan’s humanitarian situation took the stage, with human rights investigators calling for the creation of an unbiased and autonomous force to guard people. Alleged war crimes involving murder, mutilation, torture, and crimes against humanity including rape and sexual enslavement were those of the Sudanese army as well as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Based on their results, researchers cautioned that foreign powers supporting the warring groups financially and militarily could be involved in these crimes. They argued for extending the arms ban on Darfur territory of Sudan all throughout the nation.

Arriving as the conflict approaches its sixth month, the report shows that over 10 million people have been displaced—more than 2 million of them have fled to surrounding nations. One of the big camps for displaced people in Darfur has been hit by famine, aggravating the humanitarian catastrophe even more.

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Due to continuous violence and limited access, the war in Sudan has cost thousands of lives; humanitarian organizations struggle to help those most in need. Under pressure from Sudan’s military leadership, the U.N. Security Council agreed in December 2023 to revoke its political mission in the nation despite the growing humanitarian catastrophe.