In a significant development in Sudan’s ongoing crisis, the United Nations Human Rights Council has renewed its mandate for the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission in the country. This move underscores the international community’s growing concern over the widespread human rights violations occurring amid the armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The renewed mandate was adopted through a recorded vote of 23 to 12, a notable increase compared to last year’s 19 to 16.
Originally established in 2023, the fact-finding mission’s mandate is to thoroughly investigate alleged human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in Sudan. This includes making recommendations aimed at ensuring accountability for those responsible for such abuses. The mission members have been tasked with delivering their findings to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the General Assembly, with a focus on ensuring justice for victims.
Reports from the past year have detailed the severe humanitarian impact of the conflict, including famine, gender-based violence, and actions against aid workers. Published last month, the mission’s first report accused both SAF and RSF of large-scale violations potentially amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Recommendations from the report include deploying an independent force to protect civilians and establishing an international judicial mechanism in coordination with the International Criminal Court (ICC) for victim justice. An expansion of the arms embargo in Darfur was also suggested to limit the flow of weapons to the warring factions.
The ongoing conflict, which intensified in April 2023, is centered in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, but its ramifications are nationwide. As of now, the conflict has created one of the world’s largest internal displacement crises, with almost 25 million people requiring humanitarian assistance and over 8.1 million being displaced from their homes.
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