On Friday, during its 62nd session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, the Human Rights Council held an emergency session to discuss the situation in the city of El Obeid in Sudan’s North Kordofan state, following concerns expressed by a number of countries, human rights organizations, and other parties that civilians may be exposed to a new wave of atrocities in the war, which has entered its fourth year.
The session opened with a briefing by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, in which he expressed grave concern over the dangerous deterioration of the humanitarian situation in El Obeid, noting the ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and calling for a halt to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, a halt to the flow of weapons to all parties to the conflict, and the expansion of the arms embargo to cover all of Sudan.
Tork explained that civilians have been living for 18 months under conditions akin to a siege and are subjected to “constant drone strikes,” as fighting rages between the army and the Rapid Support Forces for control of the areas surrounding the city.
He said: “This is not a drill or a simulation. It is a red alert that must reach the offices of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be ringing off the hook in the coming days and weeks with ideas and initiatives to prevent horrific crimes from occurring in El Obeid and other areas of the Kordofan region.”
Turk also announced that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is preparing a forthcoming report focusing on the political economy of the war, including the trade in gum arabic, gold, and livestock, and its role in financing the conflict.
Human Rights and Official Stances on the War
George Katrogalos, Chair of the Human Rights Council’s Coordination Committee on Special Procedures, spoke about the patterns of violations committed during the conflict, including attacks on civilians and sexual violence. He affirmed that all parties to the conflict are obligated to comply with international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and stressed the need to hold those responsible for the violations accountable.
He also called on member states and influential parties to take urgent action to protect civilians and ensure access to humanitarian aid.
The Foreign Minister of the Port Sudan Authority, Muhyiddin Salem, spoke, presenting what he described as a “roadmap” proposed by the army commander as a solution to the crisis. He also called for the Rapid Support Forces to be designated a terrorist organization, before leaving the hall immediately after his remarks.
According to observers who attended the session, his remarks elicited little reaction from the participants and, in their assessment, did not include any new proposals commensurate with the scale of the humanitarian disaster for which the emergency session had been convened.
Germany called for support for the Berlin Principles and the efforts of the Quartet (the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt), coupled with the efforts of the Quintet (the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the League of Arab States), as genuine initiatives to reach a solution to the Sudanese crisis.
Mona Rashmawi, a member of the Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, also spoke about the escalation of attacks that she said the Rapid Support Forces are carrying out with drones against civilian infrastructure.
She noted that the presence of the Sudanese Armed Forces, military assets, and allied forces within civilian areas is heightening residents’ fears. She also stated that the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allies are increasingly resorting to arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention, and intimidation of individuals suspected of supporting the Rapid Support Forces, including critics of the war and advocates for peace.
International Consensus on a Political Solution
The United Arab Emirates affirmed that the escalation and developments in El Obeid once again demonstrate that there is no military solution to the conflict, and that the only way forward is an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, along with an urgent humanitarian truce. It reiterated its condemnation of all violations of international law committed by both parties to the conflict, including the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and called for expanding the scope of the UN arms embargo to cover the entire territory of Sudan and ensuring safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.
Furthermore, in its capacity as a member of the Quartet, it welcomed the outcomes of the Berlin Conference on Sudan and the efforts aimed at supporting the civilian-led process, emphasizing that the primary goal of the international community should be to launch a comprehensive political process under civilian leadership, independent of the parties to the conflict and extremist groups, and reflecting the aspirations of the Sudanese people.
The European Union called for an end to foreign interference and for a halt to the flow of arms and external support that prolongs the conflict. It also called for the condemnation of violations committed by both sides, a halt to all forms of external military support in accordance with the Berlin Principles, and support for international accountability mechanisms, including the fact-finding mission and the International Criminal Court. Several countries, including Germany, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and South Korea, also called for all parties involved in the war to be held accountable.
British Draft Resolution
The 47 member states of the Human Rights Council considered the draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom, which was supported by Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway. The draft resolution focuses on the serious deterioration of the humanitarian and human rights situation in and around the city of El Obeid and condemns the escalation of attacks by the Rapid Support Forces and their allied forces on civilian areas. It also calls for a humanitarian truce leading to an immediate ceasefire, ensuring unimpeded access to aid, strengthening the protection of civilians, and condemning all forms of external interference that fuel the conflict.
The draft resolution, which was reviewed by “Sky News Arabia,” the importance of accountability for violations, welcomes the role of the International Criminal Court, and requests that the fact-finding mission conduct an urgent investigation into the alleged violations in El Obeid, in addition to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights providing an oral briefing to the Human Rights Council on developments during the Council’s upcoming 63rd session.
The session’s deliberations and the draft resolution reflect a growing trend within the Human Rights Council toward intensifying international pressure to end the war in Sudan, with a focus on protecting civilians, promoting accountability, and supporting a civilian-led political process that leads to an end to the conflict.
