UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk - Remarks to the Interactive Dialogue on the human rights situation in the Sudan

Geneva, 26 February 2026

Mr. Vice-President,

Distinguished delegates,

Nearly three years of brutal conflict have almost turned Sudan into a land of despair.

The report I am presenting today is yet another chapter in the chronicle of cruelty. It outlines clear, ongoing patterns of violence against civilians, including killings, rape, and torture. As the fighting has intensified, violations of international law by all parties to the conflict have surged, while accountability has remained practically absent.

In 2025, my Office’s documentation points to over a two and a half times increase in killings of civilians, compared with the previous year. Many thousands are still missing or unidentified.

Both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces have continued to use explosive weapons in densely populated areas, often without warning – showing utter disregard for human life. The parties attacked schools, hospitals, markets, and religious sites, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

The increased use of advanced long-range drones has expanded harm to civilians in areas far from the front lines that were previously peaceful. 

The parties – predominantly the RSF – repeatedly used drones to strike critical infrastructure, including power stations, dams, and fuel storage tanks, with enormous impacts on civilians. And I could witness this myself when I visited Sudan earlier this year. An attack by the RSF on electrical infrastructure in Kosti, White Nile, early last year crippled water treatment systems, allowing cholera to spread like wildfire. 

The bodies of Sudanese women and girls have been weaponized to terrorize communities. In 2025, we identified over 500 victims of sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, sexual torture, and slavery – in some cases resulting in death. And when I was in Sudan earlier this year, I listened to the harrowing testimonies of at least ten of them. 

We also documented a sharp rise in summary executions of civilians, who were often accused of collaboration with the other side.

Large-scale arbitrary detention is another tool of intimidation, used by both parties and their allied militias. In territories controlled by the SAF, civilians were arrested and convicted without due process or fair trial, with many proceedings resulting in death sentences or life imprisonment. In RSF-controlled areas, no formal justice system operates.

In both cases, detainees were subjected to torture and ill-treatment and were held in inhumane, overcrowded conditions, leading to outbreaks of deadly diseases and the loss of hundreds of lives.

We have documented particularly sharp spikes in retaliatory violence against civilians when control of an area changed hands.

The RSF’s capture of Zamzam camp in April, and its offensive on El Fasher in October, unleashed carnage that claimed thousands of lives, amounting to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. People were killed, raped, abducted, and tortured, including along escape routes, with bodies piling up on roadsides. 

I warned about the risks facing El Fasher many times, but the massacre was not prevented. As the epicentre of the war shifts to the Kordofan region, I am extremely worried these crimes may be repeated. 

Because these are patterns – of heinous, ruthless brutality.

We are already seeing a worrying escalation in drone strikes and blockades by both the RSF and the SAF in Kordofan and beyond, including on humanitarian aid convoys. 

Since 1 January, these attacks have killed or injured nearly 600 civilians.

Mr. Vice-President,

The shockwaves of this war are hitting hardest those who are the least able to withstand them.

The situation of people with disabilities is harrowing, and their number increases with every attack. They are forced to flee without support or access to food, health care, or shelter, and are often subjected to harassment. 

Targeted attacks against health and aid workers, humanitarian convoys, and food supplies – all protected under international law – are cutting the last lifelines and exacerbating one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises.

Thirteen million children are out of the classroom, as schools are bombed, converted to military use, or closed.

I am very concerned about the growing militarization of society, including the recruitment of children and young people to participate in hostilities. This is a scourge that must end.

Militarization is also eroding civic space. Both parties have suppressed dissent, attacked journalists and human rights defenders, and restricted freedom of association and the right to peaceful assembly.

Hate speech and dehumanizing rhetoric are tearing at the seams of already fragmented communities. In North Kordofan, for example, we have documented calls to kill peace activists, amplified on social media.

The cumulative impact of these violations entrenches discrimination and inflicts generational trauma – preparing the ground for more violence to come.

Mr. Vice-President,

This war is ugly. It’s bloody. And it’s senseless.

I cannot help but wonder how those driving or benefiting from this madness – both inside and outside the country – can sleep at night.

If much of the international community continues to act as a passive bystander, then something is fundamentally wrong with our collective moral compass.

I implore all parties to the conflict to put their people and their country first. 

All attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop immediately. States must press the parties to uphold their obligations under international law, to protect civilians, and to ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.

I call on them to ensure full compliance with the arms embargo in Darfur and to prevent arms supplies to the entire territory of Sudan. This is a high-tech war supported by foreign sponsors.

During my visit in January, I personally witnessed the devastation caused by modern, sophisticated weaponry that continues to flow into the country.

We must reverse this flow: let aid in, and keep weapons out.

War is never total chaos; it follows its own logic – the logic of profit for those who wage it and for those who benefit from it in a proxy battle for resources. What we are seeing is the grievance of many, driven by the greed of a few. 

States and all those with influence must take action against the individuals and companies benefiting from this horrific situation. 

I note the recent sanctions imposed by the Security Council, as well as at the national and regional levels against people linked to atrocities committed in El Fasher, including commanders.

All those responsible for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law – regardless of rank or affiliation – must be held to account. Impunity has fuelled this violence for far too long. 

All States must do their utmost to ensure justice for all victims, including through universal jurisdiction.

This also includes advocating for a referral by the Security Council of the situation in the whole of Sudan to the International Criminal Court.

We urgently need stronger diplomatic and political pressure to push the parties towards a humanitarian truce that leads to a permanent ceasefire. This must be followed by peace negotiations and a transition to inclusive civilian rule.

To all those who want to see this war end: my Office is at your disposal.

We have shared with both parties our proposals on human rights confidence-building measures that would help protect civilians, build trust, and support mediation efforts. 

Mr. Vice-President,

I said earlier that this conflict has almost turned Sudan into a land of despair, but I need to correct myself. What holds that despair back is the strength and the spirit of the Sudanese people, particularly women and youth.

During my visit, I saw that this spirit remains undimmed. 

They will prevail. That is inevitable. 

The only question is how much time and suffering it will take.

It is up to all of us to take the action needed to minimize both.

Thank you.

For more information and media requests, please contact: 

In Geneva

Ravina Shamdasani:  +41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org

Jeremy Laurence: +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org 

In Nairobi

Seif Magango : +254 78834 3897 / seif.magango@un.org