UN Demands Action as Sudan War Escalates With Mass Atrocities and Starvation

“This is not a conflict winding down. It is a war expanding in scale and brutality,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission.

The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has issued a stark warning to the international community: the civil war in Sudan is intensifying, with devastating and widespread consequences for millions of civilians. In a harrowing report delivered to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Mission detailed growing atrocities, rampant sexual violence, and the systemic weaponization of humanitarian aid.

"This is not a conflict winding down. It is a war expanding in scale and brutality," said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. "The scale of human suffering continues to deepen, fueled by fractured governance, the militarization of society, and foreign interference."

A War of Attrition: Civilians Caught in the Crossfire

Since the outbreak of hostilities in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), more than 13 million people have been displaced, and tens of thousands killed. Major urban centers like Khartoum, El Fasher, Omdurman, and Gezira have seen some of the worst violence, with homes, markets, and health infrastructure reduced to rubble.

The Mission's latest findings show a marked escalation in violence and tactics, including:

• Heavy artillery used in densely populated areas

• Systematic sexual violence, including rape, abduction, and forced marriage

• Targeted killings of aid workers, medical personnel, and civil society actors

• Starvation tactics, such as looting and blocking aid routes

• Deliberate attacks on hospitals and humanitarian convoys

Hospitals Under Siege, Aid Weaponized

The Fact-Finding Mission reported that humanitarian relief is being used as a weapon of war. The SAF is reportedly creating bureaucratic obstacles to aid delivery, while the RSF has looted convoys and imposed blockades. These tactics are exacerbating an already dire famine, particularly in Darfur.

Notably, a UN aid convoy was bombed on 2 June near Al Koma, en route to El Fasher, resulting in the deaths of five humanitarian workers. The RSF has shelled Saudi Hospital in El Fasher over a dozen times, and in May, an RSF drone strike hit Obeid International Hospital, killing six civilians and closing a vital clinic in North Kordofan.

Documenting War Crimes: Naming and Shaming the Perpetrators

Despite Sudan's refusal to grant entry, the Mission conducted extensive investigations from Uganda, Chad, and during high-level meetings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Findings are based on:

• 240 interviews with survivors and witnesses

• 110 written submissions

• 30 verified videos and 8 geolocated attacks

• Confidential dossiers identifying likely perpetrators

Both SAF and RSF have been implicated in atrocities. In one RSF attack in El Fasher (10–13 April), over 100 civilians were reportedly killed. The SAF's retaliatory airstrikes in Al Koma claimed at least 15 lives. In Omdurman's Al-Salha district, 30 civilians were killed by RSF reprisals on 27 April.

Sexual Violence and Gender-Based Atrocities

The report highlighted an alarming surge in sexual and gender-based violence, with patterns of rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, and abduction. Most cases were documented in RSF-controlled displacement camps, raising concerns about a coordinated strategy to terrorize and control populations.

"The brutality inflicted on women and girls is unconscionable," said Mona Rishmawi, a member of the Fact-Finding Mission. "These are not isolated incidents but reflect a pattern of sexual violence as a weapon of war."

Accountability at the Core: Justice as a Precondition for Peace

In Nairobi last month, the Mission held a three-day consultation with 96 participants, including survivors, lawyers, and civil society groups, supported by the International Commission of Jurists (Kenya Branch). A consistent theme emerged: accountability is essential for peace.

"Justice must be actively integrated into any peace agreement," said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, another Mission member. "A peace built on impunity is no peace at all. It is an illusion."

Participants emphasized the urgent need to preserve and protect evidence, even if prosecutions may take years. The Mission reiterated its readiness to collaborate with judicial bodies, both regional and international, to ensure that perpetrators are eventually brought to justice.

A Call for International Enforcement: Arms Embargo and Beyond

Othman called on all UN member states to enforce the arms embargo outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1556, originally adopted in 2004. Despite this binding resolution, weapons continue to flow into Sudan from foreign actors, intensifying the conflict.

"We urge all states to honour their legal duties," Othman said. "Support to warring factions must end. International law must be respected, and complicity avoided."

Hope Amid Despair: Honouring the Voices of Survivors

As Sudan enters its third year of conflict, the Fact-Finding Mission is racing against time to protect civilians, document crimes, and amplify the voices of survivors.

"With the support of all stakeholders, we can transform words into protection, and commitments into justice," said Othman. "This mandate is urgent, and the time to act is now."