UN rights council condemns attacks on civilians in Sudan, calls for truce

The United Nations Human Rights Council has officially denounced strikes targeting civilian populations in Sudan, urging both sides to stop the conflict and emphasizing that military action will not solve the crisis. Meeting in Geneva, the 47-nation body approved a resolution demanding an unconditional halt to the fighting while renewing the mandate of an international panel probing wartime atrocities.

The measure was passed by a vote of 28 in favor and 10 against, alongside nine abstentions, according to reports by Al Jazeera. Sudanese officials opposed the resolution, asking members to cast negative votes and arguing that the council had overlooked objections raised by the government.

Fighting broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Rights organizations estimate that the prolonged war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced more than 13 million people from their homes.

Under the newly adopted measure, council members called for a comprehensive ceasefire overseen by an autonomous monitoring mechanism, alongside urgent efforts to rebuild basic civilian infrastructure. The resolution censured both the military and paramilitary forces for widespread breaches of humanitarian standards, highlighting unguided air raids and drone operations that have damaged hospitals and educational facilities.

Drone combat has escalated significantly throughout the conflict. Statistics from the United Nations indicate that drone deployments alone took the lives of over 1,100 people during the first five months of the year. The council also criticized external meddling, cautioning that mercenary deployments, unauthorized weapons shipments, and clandestine financial flows are exacerbating the bloodshed.

The extended fact-finding panel previously assessed that the siege and takeover of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, showed characteristics consistent with genocide. Investigators noted that residents endured prolonged blockades of critical food and medical aid, which were followed by summary killings, systematic sexual abuses, and ethnic assaults primarily aimed at non-Arab populations.

The vote coincided with warnings from the World Food Programme regarding deadly attacks on humanitarian relief operations. The UN agency confirmed that an airstrike hit a marked convoy transporting emergency rations between Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan, killing an aid driver and destroying vital provisions. That incident occurred only a day after another relief vehicle struck an explosive device following a food distribution operation in Dilling. The food agency emphasized that aid operations must never be targeted and called for a transparent inquiry to hold those responsible accountable under international law.