Sudan War Crimes: UN Fact-Finding Mission Documents Atrocities
Ongoing targeting of civilians, crimes against women and minorities
Sudan War Crimes: UN Fact-Finding Mission Documents Atrocities – Ongoing targeting of civilians, crimes against women and minorities- Khartoum Highlight
The UN Human Rights Council’s independent Fact-Finding Mission released its latest report on Sudan’s conflict. The report documents atrocities amounting to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and even genocide in some cases.
Systematic targeting of civilians:
The report confirmed that both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces committed large-scale violations. These included aerial and artillery bombardments on villages, hospitals, and displacement camps. Entire areas were destroyed and rendered uninhabitable. Mission Chairperson Mohamed Osman Shandi stressed that civilians “pay the highest price.” They face arbitrary arrests, torture, and denial of food, medicine, and health care. He described these as deliberate strategies amounting to war crimes, not just random tragedies.
Crimes against women and minorities:
The report revealed that RSF forces used starvation, rape, sexual slavery, and gender-based violence as weapons of war. Women and girls, especially from non-Arab groups like the Fur, Masalit, Zaghawa, and Tunjur, suffered gang rape and forced marriage. Some victims were younger than twelve. Testimonies described sexual torture in detention centers under widespread impunity. Expert Ngozi Joye Ezeilo described each case as “a shattered life and unimaginable psychological trauma.”
Documented massacres and displacement
The report highlighted the April 2025 massacre near El Fasher, where 300 to 500 civilians were killed, most of them women and children. It also detailed mass killings that wiped out entire villages, especially in Darfur and South Gezira states. As a direct result, more than 12 million people have been displaced, nearly half of Sudan’s population, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Targeting humanitarian workers
Between April 2023 and April 2025, the mission documented the killing of more than 84 aid workers. Others were arbitrarily detained. Humanitarian convoys were looted, and aid deliveries blocked, which the mission described as a deliberate strategy to starve civilians.
Impunity and calls for international action
The mission stressed that the absence of accountability in Sudan fuels continued crimes. It called for creating an independent international judicial mechanism, supported by the International Criminal Court. It also urged targeted sanctions against perpetrators and an arms embargo. Expert Mona Rishmawi emphasized that “every day without accountability is a betrayal of victims.” She said accountability is not optional but “a moral and legal necessity to protect civilians and prevent further crimes.”
The Fact-Finding Mission’s report does more than document tragedies. It outlines a roadmap for justice: stop the violence, protect civilians, end impunity, and secure real redress for victims. As the war continues, civilians—especially women and children—remain at the center of Sudan’s political and humanitarian catastrophe.
