UN chief expresses alarm over rights abuses by SAF in Sudan

The United Nations has voiced grave concern over escalating human rights violations in Sudan, including reports of civilian-targeted attacks by General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and other factions across the country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm over reports of unlawful executions in Khartoum Bahri, allegedly carried out by fighters and Islamists affiliated with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s SAF.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that many victims were reportedly from Darfur and Kordofan, underscoring the devastating humanitarian impact of the ongoing conflict.

The UN Human Rights Office is investigating the reported violations in an effort to document abuses and hold those responsible accountable.

In his statement, Guterres called on all parties involved in the conflict to uphold international humanitarian law, emphasizing the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Dujarric added that the ongoing violence continues to take a heavy toll on Sudanese men, women, and children, with humanitarian conditions worsening across the country.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has also raised concerns about the targeting of civilians. Reports indicate that recent SAF shelling on a crowded market in Omdurman killed at least 60 people and injured over 150 others.

Additional casualties have been reported in attacks in North Kordofan, North Darfur, and South Darfur.

Of particular concern are repeated assaults on the Abu Shouk IDP camp, which declared a food shortage emergency in December. UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Niquita Salami, condemned the indiscriminate violence and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

OCHA further warned of a sharp rise in malnutrition cases, particularly in Khartoum State, where more than 70 deaths, mostly among children, have been linked to hunger. In January, over 1,100 cases of severe malnutrition were reported in three neighborhoods of Omdurman, underscoring the dire need for food aid and a halt to the fighting.

Malnutrition is most prevalent in areas with restricted humanitarian access, where essential services such as community kitchens have been unable to operate. Dujarric stressed the urgent need for increased funding and logistical support to sustain nutrition programs and ensure vulnerable populations, especially children and the elderly, receive adequate food and healthcare.

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