Sudan War Intensifies With Deadly Outcomes for Civilians, UN Says
Geneva — The civil war in Sudan is intensifying with devastating consequences for countless civilians caught in the conflict, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan warned.
The Mission called on the international community to implement an arms embargo and ensure those responsible for serious human rights violations are held accountable.
“Let us be clear: the conflict in Sudan is far from over,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission.
“The scale of human suffering continues to deepen. The fragmentation of governance, the militarization of society, and the involvement of foreign actors are fuelling an ever-deadlier crisis.”
The Fact-Finding Mission presented its latest findings to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on June 16, documenting increased use of heavy weaponry in populated areas and a sharp rise in sexual and gender-based violence.
It said humanitarian relief is being weaponized, with hospitals and medical facilities under siege.
The war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The mission said humanitarian relief is also being weaponized, with the SAF imposing bureaucratic restrictions, while the RSF has looted convoys and blocked aid entirely.
“These actions are driving famine, especially in Darfur. On June 2, a UN convoy was bombed in Al Koma en route to El Fasher, killing five staff members,” said the Mission.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands of civilians so far, displacing over 13 million Sudanese and subjecting many more to sexual violence, looting, and the destruction of homes, health facilities, markets, and other infrastructure.
“What began as a political and security crisis has become a grave human rights and protection emergency, marked by international crimes that stain all involved,” Mission member Mona Rishmawi said.
“It is unconscionable that this devastating war is entering its third year with no sign of resolution. We all know, but it is worth repeating, civilians continue to bear the brunt of escalating violence and hostilities,” she added.
Since its last report to the Human Rights Council, the Fact-Finding Mission conducted 240 interviews, received 110 submissions, verified 30 videos, geolocated eight attacks, and compiled dossiers identifying possible perpetrators.
Sudan’s refusal
Despite Sudan’s refusal to allow access inside the country, the UN-mandated Mission carried out investigative missions to Uganda and Chad, and engaged in high-level consultations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with African Union officials.
“The Mission found that both sides have escalated the use of heavy weaponry in populated areas,” says the report.
It says that around El Fasher, civilians have been assaulted, detained, and killed while villages have been attacked, burned, and looted by the RSF.
During one RSF attack from 10 to 13 April, more than 100 civilians were reportedly killed, while a SAF bombing in Al Koma killed at least 15 civilians.
In areas recaptured by the SAF, such as Khartoum, Gezira, and Sennar, the Mission documented widespread retaliatory violence between late 2024 and mid-2025.
Individuals perceived to have supported the RSF — including human rights defenders, medical workers, and aid personnel — have faced arbitrary arrest, torture, and in some cases, execution.
The RSF, too, has carried out reprisals, killing 30 civilians in Omdurman’s Al-Salha neighbourhood on April 27.
The RSF has shelled the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher a dozen times. In May, an RSF drone strike on Obeid International Hospital in North Kordofan killed six civilians and shut down one of the region’s last functioning clinics.
The Fact-Finding Mission documented a sharp rise in sexual and gender-based violence, with women and girls subjected to rape, gang rape, abduction, sexual slavery and forced marriage, mostly in RSF-controlled displacement camps.
