Sudan Human Rights Defenders Coalition and DefendDefenders Call for Extension of Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan

The Sudan Human Rights Defenders Coalition, together with DefendDefenders, today urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Sudan for two additional years and to provide it with the resources and expertise required to strengthen accountability efforts.
Speaking before the Council at the opening of its 63rd session, lawyer Noon Kashkoosh, Advocacy Officer of the Sudanese Human Rights Defenders Coalition, condemned the warring parties’ continued disregard for international humanitarian law. She highlighted the deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, and markets through the use of drones and other weapons, in violation of commitments under the Jeddah Declaration.
Kashkoosh emphasized that more than seventy civil society organizations support the extension of the Mission’s mandate, underscoring the importance of equipping it to collect, consolidate, and preserve evidence against suspected perpetrators of crimes under international law. She further called on the international community to reprioritize Sudan by protecting civilians, supporting victims, strengthening the protection of women and children, expanding the arms embargo, and maintaining pressure on the warring parties to end the conflict.
The first day of the session featured a dedicated discussion on Sudan, during which Mohamed Shandi Osman, Head of the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission, presented key findings on violations and external support networks fueling the war. He warned that civilians bear the heaviest consequences of this external support, facing direct attacks on homes, hospitals, schools, markets, and shelters.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also cautioned against the worsening situation as the war enters its fourth year and expands in scope. He called for an immediate ceasefire, an end to foreign interference, and a return to inclusive civilian governance.
The 63rd session of the Human Rights Council continues in Geneva until 7 October, with participation from states, UN mechanisms, and human rights organizations.