UN Rights Chief Warns of Atrocities in Sudan as Fighting Threatens South Kordofan, Condemns Attacks in Ukraine

Mr Türk on Sunday concluded a five-day visit to Sudan, where he witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of the conflict on civilians displaced by fighting.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has issued urgent warnings over escalating conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine, condemning severe violations of international law and calling for immediate action to protect civilians.

Stark Warning After Visit to Sudan

Mr Türk on Sunday concluded a five-day visit to Sudan, where he witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of the conflict on civilians displaced by fighting.

Following the visit, he warned that the horrific violations and abuses committed during the capture of El Fasher in North Darfur must not be repeated in Kadugli and Dilling, in Sudan’s South Kordofan region.

During his visit, the High Commissioner travelled to the Al Afad site for internally displaced people in Ad Dabba, Northern State, which is sheltering around 20,000 displaced people. He described seeing deep trauma among children, women and men who had fled atrocities in El Fasher or suffered during their escape.

El Fasher Capture Marked by Severe Atrocities

The capture of El Fasher in late October was marked by widespread and grave abuses, including:

• Summary executions

• Sexual violence used as a weapon of war

• Dehumanising treatment

• Abductions for ransom

The offensive followed an 18-month siege that prevented civilians from accessing food, healthcare and other basic services, while residential areas and civilian infrastructure were subjected to constant attack.

Growing Threat in South Kordofan

Türk urged all parties to the conflict — including during a meeting with a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) delegation — to prevent similar crimes in Kadugli, Dilling and the wider Kordofan region.

Reports indicate that additional RSF and allied SPLM-North forces are positioned approximately 20 kilometres from Kadugli, a city currently under the control of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), where famine conditions have been confirmed.

The UN has received reports of relentless fighting, including heavy shelling, drone attacks and airstrikes, causing widespread destruction and the collapse of essential services.

Since late October, intensified hostilities in South Kordofan have displaced more than 25,000 people.

Urgent Measures to Protect Civilians

The High Commissioner outlined immediate steps that parties to the conflict must take:

• Ensure safe passage for civilians fleeing areas of active fighting

• Protect civilians from summary executions, sexual violence, reprisals, arbitrary detention and abductions

• Guarantee that all forces and allied groups act in line with international human rights and humanitarian law

• Hold perpetrators accountable, regardless of affiliation

Türk noted that throughout the conflict, all parties have committed gross human rights abuses and serious violations of international humanitarian law, particularly during territorial takeovers.

In a report to the UN Security Council, the International Criminal Court recently assessed that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed around the fall of El Fasher, reinforcing the UN’s findings.

Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure Condemned

After witnessing destruction at the Merowe dam and hydroelectric power station, Türk said both the RSF and SAF must immediately cease attacks on civilian objects essential for survival, including:

• Markets

• Health facilities

• Schools

• Shelters

He stressed the need for unimpeded humanitarian access, humane treatment of detainees, and protection from arbitrary detention.

“A chronicle of cruelty is unfolding before our very eyes – and we must not look away,” Türk said.

He also called on regional actors and arms suppliers to urgently use their influence to help bring the war to an end.

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Ukraine: UN Condemns Attacks on Energy Infrastructure Amid Freezing Winter

In a separate statement, Türk said he was outraged by renewed large-scale attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, following overnight strikes that cut heating and electricity in major cities, including Kyiv and Odesa.

“These attacks come as the people of Ukraine are gripped by extreme cold, with temperatures falling below minus 10 degrees Celsius at night,” he said.

Civilians Bearing the Brunt

Türk said civilians are suffering the most from the attacks.

“Civilians are bearing the brunt of these attacks. They can only be described as cruel. They must stop,” he said.

“Targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is a clear breach of the rules of warfare.”

The UN Human Rights Office has repeatedly warned that attacks on energy systems during winter conditions risk worsening humanitarian suffering, particularly for children, older people and persons with disabilities.