The UN Human Rights Council has called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and extended the mandate of its independent fact-finding mission for another year.
The 47-member council adopted the resolution on Monday, 5 October, by 28 votes to 10, with nine abstentions, according to its official voting record. The extension allows the mission to continue investigating and reporting on alleged abuses in the war.
The resolution condemns attacks on civilians, including indiscriminate air and drone strikes, and names both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in its account of reported violations. It calls on all parties to stop fighting without preconditions and to allow safe, rapid delivery of humanitarian aid.
The council also expressed concern about outside support that fuels the conflict, including weapons supplies and foreign personnel. The resolution says there is no military solution and calls for a Sudanese-led political process.
AFP reported that Sudan opposed the resolution, saying its reservations had not been taken into account. The council’s decision renews the investigators’ work, but its appeal for a ceasefire does not mean the warring parties have agreed to one.
The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF began in April 2023. The UN resolution says more than 33 million people need humanitarian assistance and warns that attacks and restrictions on aid continue to put civilians at risk.
