Rhino: Follow-up – The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Monday renewing the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for one year, by a vote of 28 in favor, 10 against, and 9 abstentions.
The Council adopted Resolution No. A/HRC/RES/63/2, titled “Addressing the human rights and humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan,” during the 40th meeting of the Council’s 63rd session, held in Geneva.
The resolution received the support of 28 states, compared to the 24 states that supported the renewal of the mission’s mandate last year, representing a numerical and political strengthening of international support for the mission at a time when the Port Sudan authorities and their allies have intensified their efforts to end its mandate or replace it with a national commission of inquiry.
The resolution provides for a one-year extension of the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission and requests that it present an oral briefing to the 65th session of the Human Rights Council, followed by an interactive dialogue with the participation of a representative of civil society, and then submit a comprehensive report to the 66th session of the Council and to the 82nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The resolution also requests that the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with the assistance of the expert appointed on Sudan, submit a comprehensive report to the 67th session of the Council on the human rights situation and the violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict.
The resolution emphasized that the fact-finding mission had concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the army and the Rapid Support Forces had committed violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and that some of these acts may amount to war crimes.
The Human Rights Council affirmed that there is no military solution to the Sudanese crisis, reiterating its call for an immediate and complete ceasefire by all parties without preconditions, the establishment of an independent mechanism to monitor it, and the launch of a comprehensive Sudanese political process involving civil society, women, and youth, leading to an elected government following a civilian transition period.
The resolution condemned all forms of external interference, including the supply of weapons and military equipment; the deployment of foreign personnel participating in or supporting operations; and the use of mercenaries, illicit financing networks, and the provision of training, logistical support, and drone technology.
It called on States and external actors to cease military and material support to all parties to the conflict in Sudan.
The resolution emphasized that accountability is an essential element of any sustainable solution, calling for urgent, independent, impartial, and transparent investigations into all violations; holding those responsible accountable across the entire chain of command and responsibility; and preserving evidence and documentation in preparation for their use in future trials and claims for compensation and redress.
It noted the role that the International Criminal Court could play, as well as the call by the fact-finding mission to expand the Court’s jurisdiction from Darfur to all parts of Sudan, thereby ensuring that crimes committed outside Darfur do not remain beyond the reach of international justice.
Egypt, Burundi, China, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, and Vietnam voted against the resolution, while Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, and Thailand abstained.
In contrast, the resolution was supported by prominent African countries, including South Africa, The Gambia, Malawi, and Mauritius, as well as the majority of European countries and a number of countries in Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific.
