UN Committee Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Sudan, Cites Ethnic Violence and Hate Speech

Geneva, The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urgently requested an immediate halt to the ongoing ethnic violence and hate speech in Sudan, amidst escalating conflicts involving Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.

According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee issued a decision today under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedures. It directed both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, along with their allies, to stop hostilities and cease further violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian laws, particularly those acts of violence targeting individuals based on their ethnic backgrounds.

The Committee expressed severe concern over ethnically motivated attacks, especially against the Masalit, Fur, and Zaghawa communities, highlighting incidents in El Geneina, West Darfur, which resulted in numerous deaths, including those of community leaders and human rights defenders. It noted the alarming extent of violence, including murders of those fleeing conflict zones, assaults on displaced persons’ camps, and systematic looting and destruction of villages. Reports of sexual violence and racially charged abuse towards women and girls of African descent were particularly emphasized.

Further issues raised included the arbitrary detentions, torture, and extrajudicial killings of individuals, mainly from Arab tribes, based on perceived ethnic or tribal affiliations. The Committee also flagged concerns regarding the recruitment and use of children in the conflict, which is reportedly occurring along ethnic lines in various regions including Darfur, Kordofan, and the northern states.

The Committee urged the Sudanese government to ensure thorough investigations and robust punishment for these acts and called for increased dialogue among Sudan’s ethnic communities to foster tolerance and peace. It also implored all state parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to uphold their international obligations to help end these violations and prevent further atrocities.