Press release
Geneva – June 23, 2024
Ahmed Mefreh, the Executive Director of the Committee for Justice (CFJ), urged for measures to reduce the intensity of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, during an oral intervention at a special session discussing the oral report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Committee to the Human Rights Council. Mefreh stressed the importance of ending the fighting, breaking the cycle of impunity, and holding those responsible for the conflict accountable.
Mefreh highlighted the severe human rights violations in Sudan, which have escalated since the conflict began on April 15, 2023. He emphasized the necessity
of the Fact-Finding Mission, established on October 11, 2023, for one year, in response to the human rights and humanitarian crises resulting from the ongoing armed conflict.
The Executive Director of CFJ outlined the various types of violations in Sudan, including gender-based violence, with numerous cases of rape by the “Rapid Support Forces” militia, as well as enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and the torture and intimidation of many Sudanese civilians.
Mefreh also underscored the importance of protecting human rights defenders in Sudan. He pointed out the efforts to suppress these defenders by both parties in the conflict, who face constant fear of harassment, arrest, detention, torture, or unfair trials solely for their work documenting violations by both sides.
In conclusion, Mefreh called on the council to extend the mandate of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission for an additional year, highlighting that this extension would significantly support human rights defenders in the region.
