UN Mission: Sudan War Crimes Drone Attacks Report Cites Civilian Deaths

• UN High Commissioner Volker Türk called for an end to the Sudan war, citing a new report on escalating civilian attacks.
• A UN-appointed Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan reported extensive use of long-range drones by both the SAF and RSF, targeting civilians and vital infrastructure.
• Investigators found reasonable grounds to believe both warring parties committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, potentially amounting to war crimes.
• The report also highlighted alleged significant foreign support to rebel fighters from entities in the UAE, Chad, Libya, and Somalia.
• The conflict has displaced over 10 million people and severely damaged essential services, including hospitals, according to a separate WHO update.

Investigators have found reasonable grounds to believe that both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, which may amount to war crimes.

A recent session of the UN Human Rights Council brought renewed attention to the escalating conflict in Sudan, with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, issuing a stark call to cease attacks on civilians in critical locations such as markets, hospitals, and fuel stations. The war, now in its fourth year, pits the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating a dire humanitarian emergency that has displaced over six million people internally and forced another 4.5 million to seek refuge across international borders.

The High Commissioner's appeal coincided with the release of a new Sudan war crimes drone attacks report compiled by senior independent investigators, who are not UN staff and work on an unpaid basis. This Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, established by the Council in Geneva in October 2023 and chaired by Mohamed Othman, highlighted the increasing deployment of long-range drones by both the SAF and RSF. These aerial assaults have extended far beyond traditional front lines, inflicting casualties and damage in civilian areas.

The report meticulously documents how these drone strikes have injured and killed civilians in their homes, schools, hospitals, markets, displacement sites, and places of refuge, even targeting community gatherings like weddings and funerals. Specific incidents cited include successive RSF drone attacks on a kindergarten and a hospital in Kalogie, South Kordofan, which resulted in 114 deaths, including 60 children. Additionally, SAF attacks on Ad-Da'ein Teaching Hospital claimed at least 70 lives. In El Obeid city, North Kordofan, which remains heavily contested and partially besieged by the RSF, repeated RSF drone attacks have severely impacted vital civilian infrastructure, including water and energy supplies.

The findings of the Fact-Finding Mission carry significant legal weight. Mohamed Othman, the mission's chair, informed the Council that based on the evidence gathered, there are reasonable grounds to believe that both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. These actions, he stated, may amount to war crimes.

This assessment underscores the urgent need for accountability and could pave the way for future prosecutions. International criminal law practitioners should closely monitor these developments, as the detailed evidence of deliberate targeting of civilians and essential infrastructure could form the basis for cases before bodies like the International Criminal Court Sudan. The report's emphasis on both parties' culpability highlights a widespread disregard for protected civilian status and international humanitarian law principles.

Beyond the direct actions of the warring factions, the report also shed light on the alleged external dimensions of the conflict. Investigators identified significant support provided to paramilitary rebel fighters by "individuals and entities" operating from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Chad, southeastern Libya, and Puntland in Somalia. This alleged foreign involvement is a critical factor in the ongoing violence, contributing to the conflict's protracted nature and the continued suffering of the Sudanese population.

This aspect of the Sudan war carries particular implications for businesses and investors. Lawyers advising clients with operations or investments in Sudan or neighboring countries like the UAE, Chad, Libya, and Somalia should meticulously assess potential exposure to sanctions or complicity risks. This includes scrutinizing supply chains and financial flows that could indirectly support the warring parties, ensuring compliance with international regulations and ethical standards to avoid inadvertently contributing to international humanitarian law violations.

The humanitarian crisis is further compounded by the widespread destruction of essential services. A separate update from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday revealed that the devastation observed in three major hospitals in Khartoum—Khartoum Teaching Hospital, the Ophthalmology Hospital, and the Dental Hospital—is being replicated across the country. These facilities, once key referral and teaching centers, have sustained extensive damage.

Operating theatres have been destroyed, imaging equipment lost, and numerous wards have collapsed, rendering entire blocks and departments out of service. This systemic destruction of healthcare infrastructure exacerbates the already dire situation for millions. Against this backdrop, Volker Türk reiterated his urgent warnings about the deteriorating conditions in Kordofan, Blue Nile, and North and West Darfur, stressing that civilians face "imminent" risk. He called for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all foreign involvement, and a swift return to inclusive civilian rule to alleviate the immense suffering.

Lawyers advising clients with operations or investments in Sudan or neighboring countries (UAE, Chad, Libya, Somalia) should assess potential exposure to sanctions or complicity in international humanitarian law violations, particularly concerning supply chains or financial flows that could indirectly support warring parties. International criminal law practitioners should monitor these findings for potential future prosecutions of war crimes.

Source: Original reporting via UN Human Rights Council