GENEVA: In an emergency special session, the UN Human Rights Council on Friday approved an independent fact-finding mission to investigate reported mass killings, sexual violence and other grave abuses in al-Fashir, the last major Darfur city to fall to paramilitary forces in October.
The resolution passed without a vote, signalling broad international consensus as concern grows over escalating atrocities across Sudan.
The new mission will document violations attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias, identify perpetrators, and preserve evidence for future accountability. The United Kingdom’s envoy in Geneva said the effort would help build a credible record that could support future justice processes.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk delivered a stark warning, urging governments to move beyond statements and confront a worsening crisis.
“There has been too much pretence and performance and too little action,” he said. “The world must stand up against this naked cruelty.”
UN investigators described chilling scenes from al-Fashir, which fell to RSF forces on October 26, cementing their dominance across Darfur. Thousands who sought shelter at Al-Fashir University were trapped as it turned into what investigators called a “killing ground.” Witnesses recounted bodies in the streets, mass graves, torture, and widespread sexual violence.
The RSF denies targeting civilians or obstructing aid, attributing abuses to rogue actors.
Violence Spreading Across Regions
Türk also warned of rapidly worsening violence in Kordofan, where bombardments, blockades and forced displacement have surged. The region sits between RSF-held Darfur and army-controlled eastern states, making it a strategic flashpoint.
The resolution does not mandate an inquiry into alleged foreign support for the RSF. Sudan’s ambassador criticised the omission, accusing the international community of ignoring urgent warnings.
Hassan Hamid Hassan reiterated claims, deemed credible by UN experts and some U.S. lawmakers that the United Arab Emirates supplied weapons to the RSF. The UAE’s ambassador categorically rejected the allegations.
Broad Support but Deepening Crisis
The EU, Norway, Ghana and the UK endorsed the resolution, raising alarms about the conflict’s risk to regional stability. The text also demands unrestricted humanitarian access to al-Fashir, where famine conditions continue to worsen and fleeing civilians report killings, drone strikes and systematic rape.
As Sudan’s civil war enters its third year, the fact-finding mission represents one of the UN’s most assertive steps toward accountability though its impact on the ground remains uncertain.
— Olivia Le Poidevin
