Sudan: Investigate Atrocities, Protect Civilians

Item 3: Enhanced ID in Sudan

Oral statement delivered by the World Organization against Torture (OMCT)

Mr. President

OMCT and its partners commend the office of the high commissioner on human rights for its report on the human rights situation in Sudan and call for the adoption of a commission of inquiry to further investigate the ongoing gross human rights violations in the country.

The members of our network have continued documenting deliberate attacks against civilians and human rights defenders as the conflict intensifies. Over the past months several indiscriminate attacks on marketplaces and displacement camps sheltering unarmed civilians have been documented including the attacks on 14 February 2025 on the Abou Shok and Zamzam displacement camps forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced people to flee, in Northern Darfur, as well as the assault on Sabreen Market in Omdurman city on 1st February 2025, by RSF, which have resulted in at least 54 fatalities, 158 injured people and widespread destructions of essential infrastructures. These attacks are followed by the use of torture and ill-treatment against civilians and war prisoners, and persistent violence against children and women.

Mr. President,

As the office of high commissioner reports indicates that further investigations are needed to confirm the occurrence of possible war crimes and the establishment of the commission of other serious crimes under international law, we want to recall that the fact-finding mission on Sudan had identified incidents where war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed.

OMCT and its partners call on this council to establish a commission of inquiry with the mandate to investigate all the crimes committed by all the warring parties in Sudan. We also support the idea of the mandate of the International Criminal Court to all Sudan.

Thank you