Sudan crisis: United Nations (UN) rights chief condemns extrajudicial killings in Khartoum

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The fight for Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, likely involved widespread summary executions of civilians following its recent recapture by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Thursday.

Citing credible reports of extrajudicial killings in several areas of the capital, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the victims were suspected of collaborating with rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters.

“I urge the commanders of the Sudanese Armed Forces to take immediate measures to put an end to arbitrary deprivation of life,” insisted Mr. Türk, pointing to reports attributing the killings to SAF soldiers, State security personnel and affiliated militias.

Video horrors

The High Commissioner’s comments follow the review of “multiple horrific videos” available on social media since 26 March, apparently filmed in southern and eastern Khartoum and showing armed men “some in uniform and others in civilian clothes” executing civilians.

In some of the video footage, perpetrators state that they are punishing supporters of RSF, the UN rights chief said, adding that he was “utterly appalled” by the development.

One report from the Janoub Al Hezam area of southern Khartoum apparently showed the alleged killing of at least 20 civilians, including one woman, by SAF and affiliated supporters.

Accountability call

“Extrajudicial killings are serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law,” Mr. Türk said. “Individual perpetrators, as well as those with command responsibility, must be held accountable for such unacceptable actions under international criminal law.”

Sudan’s spiralling crisis stems from the breakdown of a transition to civilian rule after the overthrow of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

The country was the first that Mr. Türk visited as High Commissioner in November 2022 and he has invested heavily in trying to protect Sudanese people from heavy fighting and the catastrophic humanitarian crisis that has gripped the country. In May 2024 he spoke to rival generals Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan of the SAF and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF, in an effort to pursue a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

Human Rights Council spotlight

At the current Human Rights Council session in Geneva, however, the High Commissioner warned more than 600,000 people are on the brink of starvation in Sudan after nearly two years of fighting.

“Famine is reported to have taken hold in five areas, including Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur,” Mr. Türk said, referring to the shelter where the UN World Food Programme (WFP) was forced to suspend its lifesaving operations amid intense fighting.

An additional five more areas could face famine in coming months and a further 17 are at risk, the High Commissioner told the Council on 27 February. “My own staff have heard harrowing testimonies of death from starvation in Khartoum and Omdurman.”

El Fasher alert

In an alert late Wednesday, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, warned that 250,000 people – mostly women, children and older people – had fled violence in the Al Malha area, around 180 kilometres north of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

“Many are now scattered across 15 villages, lacking even basic necessities, the UN agency said, highlighting that just last week, the UN migration agency, IOM, said that 75,000 people had been displaced because of clashes.

“The newly reported figure would mark a very significant escalation in displacement and signal a serious deterioration in an already dire humanitarian situation across North Darfur,” OCHA said.

In eastern Sudan, meanwhile, humanitarian partners continue to respond to a hepatitis outbreak spreading among displaced communities at the Gharb Al Matar displacement site in Kassala state.

Between 27 and 31 March, more than 60 new suspected cases were reported, bringing the total to 236 cases in less than a month.

The outbreak is being driven by overcrowded living conditions, poor sanitation and limited healthcare.

Millions displaced

To date, an estimated 8.8 million people have been forced from their homes to camps and other locations within Sudan; 3.5 million more have fled across borders.

More than 30.4 million people need assistance, from healthcare to food and other forms of humanitarian support. Less than 30 per cent of hospitals and clinics are still working, and outbreaks of disease are rampant in displacement camps.

Online threat

In a statement, Mr. Türk expressed concern at the rise in online hate speech and incitement to violence in Sudan, “with lists of individuals accused of collaborating with the RSF posted online”.

The High Commissioner also warned that ethnic groups from the Darfur and Kordofan regions were being targeted disproportionately, before calling for the Sudanese authorities to launch independent, transparent and effective investigations into the latest incidents.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

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