This week, member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) from all regions overwhelmingly voted to renew the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) for the Sudan, established in 2023. The move was widely backed by Sudanese activists.
The fact-finding mission is mandated to investigate crimes committed by Sudan’s warring parties and advance accountability for them, including by collecting and preserving evidence to identify those responsible and for future prosecutions.
The renewal of the fact-finding mission’s mandate comes as an uptick in fighting in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and El Fasher, North Darfur, is once again placing civilians at massive risk, with both parties using heavy explosive weapons in densely populated areas, causing civilians to flee seeking safety amid a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.
The increase in support for the resolution this year signals growing recognition of the need to combat the impunity at the heart of Sudan’s conflict, which continues to fuel atrocities, and that justice is central to resolving the crisis.
It was significant that several African countries shifted to more supportive positions on the resolution than in 2023. By voting in favor of the resolution this time, South Africa, alongside Ghana, delivered a powerful message that at a time of selective application of international law, double standards can and should be overcome by raising the bar rather than diminishing it. Countries from other regions, including Malaysia and the Maldives, also shifted to more supportive positions.
Building on this growing consensus, states should work toward the implementation of the fact-finding mission’s recommendations, particularly on civilian protection and accountability.
In its first report, the fact-finding mission called for the deployment of an independent force to protect civilians, echoing consistent appeals by many Sudanese activists, local responders, and international experts. They also recommended the expansion of the existing arms embargo on Darfur and of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) jurisdiction to include the whole country, called for Sudan’s cooperation with the ICC, and urged more comprehensive approaches to justice, including consideration of a separate international judicial mechanism to complement the ICC’s work.
States should urgently act on these vital recommendations in the context of upcoming discussions at the UN Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, including an informal consultative between both bodies. This week’s vote is likely to give Sudanese calling for accountability a glimmer of hope amidst much darkness. States should not let them down.
