The Committee for Justice and AWAFY Sudanese Organization delivered a joint oral statement during the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council under Agenda Item 2, in the framework of the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue with the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Designated Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan.
“The statement was delivered by the Executive Director of the Committee for Justice “Ahmed Mefreh” who addressed the Council underscoring the urgent need for strengthened international engagement in light of the grave and ongoing violations committed in the context of the armed conflict in Sudan.”
In the intervention, we expressed appreciation for the vital work undertaken by the Fact-Finding Mission and reiterated the urgent need for strengthened international engagement to address the grave and ongoing violations committed in the context of the armed conflict in Sudan.
Nearly three years into the conflict, civilians continue to bear the brunt of widespread and systematic abuses. The statement highlighted the alarming scale of displacement, with over 7 million people internally displaced and more than 11.7 million displaced overall, including those who have fled across borders.
We documented the killing of 22 civilians, including four medical personnel, during attacks on a hospital and a market, reflecting the deliberate targeting of protected civilian objects. In El Fasher and across Darfur, we documented patterns of extrajudicial killings and identity-based targeting, alongside the killing of at least 14 journalists in 2025, underscoring the systematic silencing of those reporting on violations.
The statement further addressed the abduction of children in Darfur, who were subjected to forced labor and extortion, and the detention of 97 young men in West Kordofan, reportedly held for ransom. These practices constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes.
We also emphasized that sexual and gender-based violence continues to be used as a weapon of war, while arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearance, forced displacement, and indiscriminate aerial bombardment persist in an environment characterized by entrenched impunity.
In conclusion, we called for strengthened political and financial support for the Fact-Finding Mission, the adoption of concrete protection measures for civilians and human rights defenders, and the guarantee of safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout the country.
