UN experts today condemned the intensifying violence against civilians in Sudan, highlighting the escalating humanitarian catastrophe as the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues. The UN report reveals that more than 11 million people, over half of them children, are now displaced, suffering from the effects of ongoing hostilities marked by a disregard for international humanitarian and human rights laws.
In their latest statement, UN officials criticized the widespread use of artillery, airstrikes, and explosive weaponry by both the SAF and RSF. The indiscriminate attacks are not only causing immediate casualties but also pose a long-term threat to civilians due to unexploded ordnance. In some areas, notably El Fasher city, siege tactics have further exacerbated the crisis, with humanitarian aid restricted, agricultural land destroyed, and humanitarian workers subjected to violent attacks, contributing to what experts have labelled a “man-made famine.”
The experts also condemned the RSF for its recent assaults in Gezira State, where there have been reports of forced displacement, torture, summary executions, and arbitrary detention, often targeting civilians based on their ethnicity. “This adds to a growing pattern of atrocities against ethnic minorities that may amount to crimes against humanity,” the UN statement warned.
Of particular concern is the documented use of sexual violence, primarily by RSF forces, as a tool of war. Experts noted reports of rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and trafficking, affecting predominantly women and girls in Gezira and other conflict zones. The large-scale sexual violence, often marked by extreme brutality, could amount to torture under international law.
The ongoing conflict has also led to a breakdown in law and order, with civilians increasingly vulnerable to armed robberies, looting, and violent farmer-herder clashes. Adding to the precarious situation, heavy seasonal flooding has recently displaced more civilians, raising concerns of a cholera outbreak among those living in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions.
“The people of Sudan are facing an impossible situation, caught between conflict, famine, crime, disasters, and disease,” the experts stated, urging both the SAF and RSF to end their attacks on civilians, allow unrestricted humanitarian aid, and work toward an immediate ceasefire. They called for accountability for war crimes, including conflict-related sexual violence, and pressed for inclusive political negotiations to restore stability and law.
The UN experts further urged the international community to support Sudan through diplomatic mediation, humanitarian funding, and an end to illicit arms supplies that continue to fuel the conflict.
