Demands for an International No-Fly Zone on Military Aircraft and Drones in Sudan to Protect Civilians, Documentation of the Militarization of Healthcare and Chemical Weapons, and Calls to Hold War Leaders.
Accountable At the Swiss Press Club in Geneva, an extraordinary human rights symposium titled “The Status of Women and Violence in Times of War: Focus on the Sudan Crisis” was convened jointly by the International Coalition for Human Rights Organizations, the European Association for the Defense of Minorities, the TYFA Organization and the Postversa Foundation.
Held as a side event on the margins of the United Nations Human Rights Council session, the symposium presented a precise documentative and analytical framework detailing the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe and violations of international law in Sudan, with particular emphasis on how women’s bodies and civilian infrastructure have been converted into arenas for political and military retaliation.
Opening the human rights briefing, Abdelrahim Grein, representative of the International Coalition for Human Rights, affirmed that Sudan has transitioned beyond a transient crisis into a dark tunnel of structural destruction of the basic requisites of life.
Grein highlighted the destruction and militarization of over 80% of healthcare facilities across conflict zones into barracks, alongside the forced coercion of medical personnel to support military intelligence under directives from the military leadership.
He documented harrowing accounts of women in rural areas and displacement camps forced to give birth using basic ropes in the complete absence of medical care, resulting in maternal deaths from hemorrhaging and related complications.
Furthermore, he addressed the destruction of the future of 19 million children through the conversion of schools into military posts, forcing young girls in rural Kordofan to replace schoolbags with bundles of firewood amid systematic disenfranchisements.
Grein also accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of deploying chemical weapons and toxic gases in residential neighborhoods of Omdurman in 2024, noting that surviving women and children continue to suffer from severe deformities and chronic respiratory illnesses.
Drawing from field observations, Sudanese human rights advocate and Coalition member Hiba Al-Waseela delivered eyewitness testimonies documenting the immediate human cost of the war, stemming from decades of systemic oppression and marginalization.
Al-Waseela recounted the tragedy of Fatima, who lost her business and home, enduring the trauma of sexual violence and social stigma amidst the total collapse of medical and psychological support systems.
She conveyed Fatima’s poignant words: “The shells did not kill our bodies, but they killed our spirits, leaving us homeless.” She also presented the case of Maryam, a 15-year-old girl from rural Kordofan who lost her parents, her school, and her dream of studying medicine.
Al-Waseela disclosed the personal toll exacted on her human rights advocacy, including the revocation of her passport and her inclusion on wanted lists in an effort to silence her voice, emphasizing that a just peace cannot be realized without women participating as essential partners and decision-makers at the negotiating table.
Manal Msalmi, President of the European Association for the Defense of Minorities, analyzed the drivers fueling the conflict locally and internationally, exposing the involvement of over ten external actors in exacerbating the crisis through military and diplomatic support.
Msalmi warned of the dangers surrounding the politicization of religious discourse and the incitement of youth under the guise of holy war to achieve martyrdom or victory.
She condemned the deployment of chemical weapons, calling upon the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to launch an immediate and transparent investigation.
Furthermore, she denounced General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s rejection of the European Union initiative to protect critical infrastructure, highlighting the catastrophic casualties caused by drone warfare and the indiscriminate bombardment of hospitals and public markets. In a direct address, Andy Vermaut, President of the Post versa Foundation, delivered a firm message to the leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces, headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
He stated that leadership is measured not by the territory controlled through force of arms, but by the number of lives protected, stressing that leadership entails direct legal and moral responsibility for the conduct of forces, the prevention of abuses, and the accountability of perpetrators regardless of military rank.
Vermaut underscored that conflict-related sexual violence is not collateral damage to be overlooked or deferred, but a grave violation that necessitates the full operationalization of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to ensure the protection of women and their central inclusion in peacebuilding processes.
Dr. Mohamed Ali, Director of International Relations at the International Coalition, provided a legal analysis of the root causes of these violations. He explained how conflict-related sexual violence and rape in Darfur, Kordofan and Khartoum have been weaponized as a systematic military tactic to dismantle family structures and force displacement, constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Dr. Ali highlighted the double burden of oppression and stigma borne by women, who pay a double price between frontline violence and social isolation stemming from a lack of specialized care.
He condemned indiscriminate aerial bombardments and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas targeting vital infrastructure, in explicit violation of the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution under International Humanitarian Law.
In her intervention, Elizabeth, representing TYFA.ORG, stated: “What the women and girls of Sudan face today constitutes systematic targeting and UN-documented war crimes, encompassing conflict-related sexual violence and abduction amidst the total collapse of the health system and livelihoods, placing women before a tragic choice between exploitation and starvation.
Sudanese women, who led the struggle for freedom, peace, and justice, and who today lead humanitarian response efforts and community kitchens, continue to face oppression and impunity.
The evidence and testimonies presented before you are unequivocal.
Responsibility demands moving beyond statements of condemnation to delivering tangible protection, humanitarian assistance, and holding all perpetrators accountable.
Is this Council truly prepared to listen and to act?” The symposium concluded with an urgent set of recommendations addressed to the UN Human Rights Council and the international community:-
Immediate No-Fly Zone:
Enforce an immediate international no-fly zone over Sudanese airspace to halt military aircraft and drone operations targeting civilians.
Independent Investigations:
Establish independent, specialized international fact-finding mechanisms to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence.
OPCW Deployment:
Dispatch an immediate mission in coordination with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate the events in Omdurman and refer those responsible to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Protection of Healthcare:-
Criminalize the militarization of healthcare and classify attacks on medical facilities as war crimes under international law.
Emergency Education Initiative:-
Launch an emergency initiative to safeguard education and provide secure alternative learning pathways for displaced students and girls.
Targeted Sanctions:-
Impose targeted sanctions on key figures of the former regime and deep-state networks obstructing peace efforts.
Inclusive Governance:-
Ensure the full, equal, and meaningful representation of Sudanese women across all negotiation tracks and the drafting of the country’s constitutional future.
