Rival armies of the national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia have been fighting for control of the country for almost three years.
Something must be done to address the “continuous entry of weapons”, insisted the High Commissioner for Human Rights, after recounting testimonies from survivors of atrocious crimes in El Fasher, capital of Northern Darfur, perpetrated by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that invaded the city last October.
Mass murders
“In one horrific example, people who fled to separate locations, thousands of kilometers away, gave consistent accounts of the mass murder of hundreds of people taking refuge at El Fasher University,” he said, describing compelling testimony that some victims were targeted because of their non-Arab ethnicity, particularly members of the Zaghawa ethnic group.
“Survivors also spoke of seeing piles of corpses along the roads leading away from El Fasher, in an apocalyptic scene that one person compared to Judgment Day,” continued the High Commissioner, whose comments echoed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) conclusion last month that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed in El-Fasher, linked to the RSF siege.
“Our own conclusions are entirely consistent” with that ICC assessment, Türk told the Human Rights Council, at a meeting held specifically on the Sudan emergency.
Dire warnings
Previously, the UN rights chief noted that his office had warned of previous atrocity crimes, such as the RSF offensive to capture the Zamzam displaced persons camp in April 2025.
“Responsibility for these heinous crimes lies squarely with RSF and its allies and supporters.“, said.
War in Sudan broke out in April 2023, after a power-sharing agreement in the resource-rich Central African nation between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF broke down.
The resulting humanitarian emergency has affected more than 30 million people in Sudan; many have faced repeated displacement and others have been affected by famine and systematic sexual violence, including gang rape.
As fighting continues from Darfur in the west to the central regions of Kordofan, observers fear further serious abuses, including by “Advanced drone weapon systems used by both sides.”Türk warned.
Deadly drone war
“In the past two weeks, the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied Joint Forces have broken the sieges of Kadugli and Dilling,” the High Commissioner said. “But drone attacks by both sides continue, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries.
Civilians are at risk of summary executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detention and family separation.”
Mediation measures
In a bid to prevent further bloodshed, the High Commissioner announced a series of measures “to support mediation efforts” and reduce violence.
These include commitments not to attack civilians or residential areas with explosive weapons, allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, end arbitrary detentions, and cease attacks on civilian infrastructure.
“I witnessed the damage caused by RSF attacks on the Merowe dam and hydroelectric power station, which once supplied 70 percent of Sudan’s electricity. Repeated drone attacks have disrupted power and water supplies to large numbers of people, with a serious impact on healthcare,” he said.