Sudan Rights Coalition Demands UN Expose Foreign Backers of the Military

A Sudanese coalition urged the UN Human Rights Council on Monday to publicly identify and name the countries and external entities providing support to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) amidst the ongoing civil war. The group also called for the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan to be renewed.

The conflict began in April 2023 following a power struggle between the SAF, led by Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen Mohamed Dagalo. Established last month by African human rights campaigners, the Sudan Coalition aims to support initiatives to end the conflict and restore civilian rule.

Last week, the UN fact-finding mission reported that foreign arms, military technology, fighters, and logistical networks are bolstering both factions, facilitating advanced attacks against civilians. Although investigations into the SAF's external support remain in early stages, evidence indicates that foreign-supplied combat drones and loitering munitions have extended the military's long-range strike capabilities, including strikes on civilian areas like Yabus Market in Blue Nile State.

US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz stated on Monday that Sudan has suffered years of escalating chaos. “The UN Security Council now has a chance to do right by the people of Sudan and remember what it was created to do: stop wars, keep the peace, and protect lives,” he remarked, adding, “It’s time to expand the arms embargo across all of Sudan. The people have suffered long enough.”

Abdelbagi Jibril, director of the Sudan Centre for Knowledge, delivered the Sudan Coalition's appeal during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on behalf of the coalition, the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, and the African Centre for Legal Studies.

The coalition emphasized that the UN fact-finding mission must continue its work investigating violations, preserving evidence, and identifying perpetrators to combat impunity and deliver justice to victims. While welcoming the mission's third report on external support networks, the coalition critiqued its methodology and premature publication prior to the full conclusion of investigations regarding external actors aiding the SAF.

Highlighting that previous reports from the fact-finding mission and the UN human rights office point to systematic violations of international law by both warring parties, the coalition urged the UN to address all supporting states and entities without exception. They expressed hope that subsequent reporting will comprehensively detail all forms of external intervention.

The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, mass displacement, and a severe humanitarian crisis affecting approximately 20 million hungry individuals. Despite this, Gen Al Burhan has vowed to pursue total defeat of the RSF, dismissing international ceasefire efforts. Furthermore, investigative reports published by The New York Times and The Washington Post revealed that the SAF utilized and concealed a secret stockpile of chemical weapons tested in Sudan's desert.