UN's Sudan fact-finding mission blasts SAF-aligned government’s ‘weak’ argument for denying access

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has criticized the government allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for presenting a "weak" case against allowing investigators into the country. Mohamed Chande Othman, the mission's chairman, stated the arguments were insufficient because each mechanism serves a specific purpose.

The mission's latest report, Fuelling the Conflict, was presented to the UN Human Rights Council, focusing on identifying perpetrators and gathering evidence for future accountability. Despite facing opposition from countries that argue fact-finding projects require national consent, the mission will continue investigating external actors' roles in the war, including support, training, and weapons supplied.

The SAF and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have obligations under international humanitarian law and have committed to respecting and protecting civilians, as per the Jeddah Declaration in May 2023. The conflict, which erupted in April after a power struggle between the SAF, led by Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Gen Mohamed Dagalo, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and created a humanitarian crisis with millions suffering from hunger.

The mission has uncovered evidence of foreign-supplied combat drones and loitering munitions, expanding the SAF's long-range strike capabilities, and found it used chemical weapons in attacks on civilian sites. The SAF has constructed a secret chemical weapons stockpile, and the mission will delve deeper into the issue of external actors' involvement in the war.