UN Human Rights Council calls for urgent inquiry in Sudan’s El-Fasher

(MENAFN) On Friday, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) held a special session to address the escalating human rights crisis in and around El-Fasher, Sudan. During the session, the Council adopted a resolution—without a vote—requesting an urgent inquiry by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan. The resolution strongly condemned the rising violence and reported atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and affiliated groups, including ethnically motivated killings, torture, summary executions, and the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war.

The resolution directs the fact-finding mission to identify individuals responsible for the abuses, where possible, and to support efforts to ensure accountability. It also requests the UN human rights office to provide a verbal update on the situation in El-Fasher before the HRC’s 61st session and asks the fact-finding mission to submit a report on its findings at that session, which will be followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue with member states.

During the session, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described the atrocities as “foreseen and preventable,” citing mass killings of civilians, ethnically targeted executions, and widespread sexual violence, including gang rapes. Adama Dieng, the African Union’s Special Envoy on the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities, called on the international community to halt the flow of weapons and fighters into Sudan, highlighting how this directly contributes to the targeting of specific identity groups.

Mona Rishmawi, a representative of the fact-finding mission, emphasized that much of El-Fasher had become “a crime scene,” describing evidence of “unspeakable atrocities.” Throughout the debate, speakers expressed deep alarm at the situation, condemned violations attributed to the RSF, and stressed the urgent need for accountability and an immediate end to the conflict. The session underscored the HRC’s commitment to investigating alleged abuses and supporting international efforts to protect civilians and uphold human rights in Sudan.

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