Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – A damning fact-finding report by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has revealed widespread and systematic human rights violations in Sudan, including starvation, sexual violence, ethnic cleansing, and violence against children, more than two years after the conflict erupted on 15 April 2023.
The report, presented by Honourable Commissioner Hatem Essaiem, Head of the Joint African Union (AU) Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), exposes a pattern of atrocities committed by both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) along with their allied militias.
Widespread Abuses Across Sudan
The ACHPR report underscores that civilians have borne the brunt of the conflict through indiscriminate attacks, extrajudicial killings, destruction of infrastructure, and the obstruction of humanitarian aid.
The violence has devastated regions such as Al Gezira, Blue Nile, Khartoum, North Darfur, South Darfur, Kordofan, and West Darfur, resulting in massive displacement and refugee flows.
Commissioner Essaiem said the FFM conducted its virtual inquiry between June 2024 and March 2025, gathering written submissions, oral testimonies, and digital evidence to assess events from April 2023 to the present.
“The FFM has established that both the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Force, along with their respective allied militias, are responsible for the documented violations and must accordingly be held accountable,” he told the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission.
Ten Thematic Areas of Rights Violations
The report identifies violations in ten key areas under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other African human rights instruments. These include the rights to life, human dignity, liberty and security, non-discrimination, freedom of movement, and peace and security, as well as economic, social, and cultural rights and protections for women, children, and vulnerable groups.
Commissioner Essaiem described the right to life as “inviolable,” citing Article 4 of the African Charter, and noted that the conflict has been marked by “indiscriminate attacks, extrajudicial killings, and ethnically based violence,” reflecting “a systemic pattern of wanton disregard for life.”
On human dignity, he stated that torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment were widespread and weaponized to instill fear and anguish. “The recorded incidents show a pattern consistent with a total disregard for the centrality of dignity and a discriminatory posture of humiliation based on ethnicity or race,” he said.
Sexual Violence and Exploitation
Conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, exploitation, and forced marriages, was found to be rampant and often used as a weapon of war. Commissioner Essaiem said women and children were disproportionately affected.
“The incidents recorded show a disturbing rise in violations that denigrate women, exploit children, and make people vulnerable to sexual slavery and related abuses,” he stated.
Attacks on Children and Vulnerable Groups
Children were found to be among the worst affected, facing displacement, sexual violence, hunger, malnutrition, and forced recruitment into combat. “The incidents documented do not reflect a culture of protection or prevention of violations against children,” Commissioner Essaiem said, noting that these findings mirror earlier concerns raised by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
He also highlighted that women, older persons, and persons with disabilities face under-documented suffering and heightened vulnerabilities due to starvation, overcrowded camps, and exploitation.
Ethnic Cleansing and Discrimination
The report details targeted violence against non-Arab ethnic groups by predominantly Arab militias, including ethnically motivated killings, forced displacement, structural marginalization, and rape.
“Targeting people based on their ethnicity or race is an affront to the values of human dignity, equality, and non-discrimination,” Commissioner Essaiem said, describing the actions as “acts of ethnic cleansing” that violate the African Charter and the AU Constitutive Act.
Suppression of Freedoms and Destruction of Livelihoods
The FFM found that fundamental freedoms—including speech, media, association, and assembly—were severely curtailed, creating an atmosphere of fear and repression. Freedom of movement was also restricted, with civilians prevented from leaving internally displaced persons’ camps and humanitarian assistance obstructed.
Looting, destruction of critical infrastructure, and the blocking of essential goods and services have further deepened economic and social suffering. Commissioner Essaiem noted that while such violations are often under-reported, “their value is far from insignificant.”
Call for Accountability and Ceasefire
The ACHPR report concludes that Sudan has failed to meet its obligations under the African Charter, the Maputo Protocol, the Kampala Convention, and other international human rights instruments, demonstrating “a serious disregard for international humanitarian law.”
Commissioner Essaiem said the recommendations in the report highlight the urgent need to end hostilities and strengthen protections for civilians.
“These recommendations recognize the limitations of existing safeguards and call for immediate steps to ensure a cessation of hostilities as the first action to mitigate further violations of rights,” he stated.
