Sudan War Enters Third Year Amid Massacres, Famine, and Crimes Against Humanity

UN expert Mona Rishmawi emphasized that the deliberate targeting of civilians and healthcare workers constitutes international crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

As Sudan marks the third year of a brutal and escalating war, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission has issued a dire warning about the intensifying humanitarian catastrophe and escalating atrocities against civilians. In a statement released this week, the UN Mission condemned the recent massacre of more than 100 civilians at displacement camps in Darfur, describing the conflict as entering its darkest and most devastating chapter.

The war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, when clashes broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has engulfed nearly the entire country. Since its onset, thousands of civilians have been killed and millions displaced, as reports of atrocities, including sexual violence, starvation, looting, and executions, have continued to mount.

Massacres in Darfur Spark Global Outrage

According to the Fact-Finding Mission, the latest violence targeted Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps for internally displaced people (IDPs), as well as the town of El Fasher in North Darfur. These attacks, carried out by RSF fighters starting on April 11, reportedly killed more than 100 civilians, including nine medical workers from the humanitarian organization Relief International.

The situation in Zamzam camp is particularly dire. Home to approximately 750,000 displaced persons—half of them children—the camp has been placed under what survivors describe as siege-like conditions, with severe restrictions on food, water, medicine, and movement. UNICEF and the World Food Program have confirmed that children are dying from hunger as humanitarian access remains blocked.

First-hand testimonies collected by the UN Mission describe widespread looting, the destruction of villages and farmland, and indiscriminate killings. Civilians have been harassed, detained, and robbed at checkpoints surrounding the camps. In some areas, villages such as Abu Zerega, Shagra, Golo, and communities along the Kutum-Anka corridor were burned to the ground between October 2024 and January 2025. RSF fighters were identified as the primary perpetrators.

Reprisal Killings by SAF Raise New Alarm

In addition to atrocities committed by the RSF, the UN Mission has received credible reports of retaliatory violence by the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied militias. In areas recently retaken from the RSF—including parts of Sennar and Al-Gezira states—there are allegations of mass arrests, arbitrary detentions, and extra-judicial executions of suspected RSF members or sympathizers.

In Khartoum, where the SAF announced full control over new districts on April 7, civilians in neighborhoods such as Al-Kalakla reportedly faced harsh reprisals, including public executions without trial and mass detentions. The fate of many detainees remains unknown.

Humanitarian Crisis Reaches Catastrophic Levels

Sudan is now experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Over 12 million people have been displaced, including more than 8.5 million internally and 3.5 million who have fled to neighboring countries. The UN estimates that 24.6 million people—over half of Sudan’s population—are facing acute food insecurity, with nearly 8 million on the brink of famine.

Famine conditions were first confirmed in Zamzam Camp in August 2024 and have since expanded to other displacement camps and the Western Nuba Mountains. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that these conditions are man-made, driven by both deliberate obstruction of aid and the destruction of agricultural infrastructure.

UN Mission Urges International Action

In its report, the UN Fact-Finding Mission reiterated its urgent call for an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of attacks on civilians. It urged countries with influence over the warring parties to stop fueling the conflict by financing or supplying arms and to ensure full respect for international humanitarian law.

“The world has witnessed two years of ruthless conflict which has trapped millions of civilians in harrowing situations, subjecting them to violations and suffering with no end in sight,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Mission. “As Sudan enters its third year of conflict, we must reflect on the catastrophic situation in Sudan and honor the lives of all Sudanese who have been lost or changed forever.”

UN expert Mona Rishmawi emphasized that the deliberate targeting of civilians and healthcare workers constitutes international crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“States have an obligation not only to respect but to ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions,” she said. “This means States should neither finance the war nor provide weapons, as this may encourage, aid, and assist the warring parties in committing violations.”

Global Talks Underway

On Tuesday, around 20 countries, including several with significant leverage over the conflict’s key players, are meeting in London to assess the worsening crisis and discuss solutions. The Fact-Finding Mission has urged participating nations to implement concrete measures to protect civilians, ensure accountability, and facilitate humanitarian access.

Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, a member of the Mission, stressed the long-term toll the war is having on Sudanese society. “The impact of the conflict on all Sudanese, in particular women and children, is severe and long-lasting. Many have lost family members and are left traumatized by the violence. The situation demands immediate action to deliver justice, psychosocial support, and reparations.”

An Urgent Call for Peace

As the violence escalates and the humanitarian catastrophe deepens, the international community faces a moral and legal imperative to intervene. Without a decisive and unified response, the war in Sudan threatens not only the survival of its people but also the stability of an entire region already struggling with the spillover effects of war, famine, and mass displacement.

The Fact-Finding Mission continues its investigations and calls for full access to affected areas, emphasizing the importance of accountability for those responsible for mass atrocities.

“There must be justice,” said Othman. “And there must be peace.”