UN Rights Council Slams Sudan Attacks, Calls for Immediate Ceasefire

UN Rights Council Slams Sudan Attacks, Calls for Immediate Ceasefire
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The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned attacks on civilians in Sudan and called on the country’s warring parties to agree to an immediate and complete ceasefire without preconditions.

The 47-member council adopted a resolution Monday extending the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan for another year. The resolution passed with 28 votes in favor, 10 against and nine abstentions.

The council condemned widespread violations of international humanitarian law by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, aerial bombardments and drone strikes that have caused civilian deaths and damaged critical infrastructure. It also called for an independent mechanism to monitor a ceasefire and urged the restoration of essential infrastructure.

The resolution comes as drone warfare continues to intensify across Sudan. The council warned that there is no military solution to the conflict and expressed concern over external interference, weapons transfers, foreign fighters and other forms of support fueling the war.

The renewed concern over attacks on civilians follows a deadly airstrike on two trucks carrying food supplies for the UN World Food Programme in South Kordofan. The trucks, clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles, were traveling from Dilling to Kadugli on Saturday when they were attacked, killing one driver. The WFP has called for a prompt and impartial investigation.

The latest developments come as Sudan’s war between the army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, continues to cause widespread displacement, food insecurity and allegations of serious violations of international law. UN investigators have previously documented grave abuses by both sides and said the RSF’s campaign during the capture of El-Fasher in North Darfur bore the “hallmarks of genocide.”

The Human Rights Council’s renewed mandate is intended to preserve evidence of violations and support future accountability efforts, while the call for an immediate ceasefire reflects growing international concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis and continued attacks on civilians and aid operations.