Statement on the third anniversary of the conflict in Sudan

Three years on, Sudan’s civilians continue to bear the cost of grave violations of international humanitarian law.

Three years into the armed conflict in Sudan, the IHL Centre reiterates its deep alarm at the harrowing toll of the conflict on civilians, and the persistent failure of parties to the conflict to respect international law.

Credible reports from across the UN system, as well as civil society, humanitarian and medical actors, point to a pattern of serious and widespread violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law by the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, and their allies.

Over the past year, the conflict in Sudan has been characterized by a disregard for IHL, including credible reports of sexual violence, indiscriminate attacks, systematic looting and destruction of essential civilian infrastructure, and deliberate interference with life-saving aid delivery. This has had devastating consequences for civilians across the country.

The impact of the conflict on civilians over the last three years is simply catastrophic. Sudan is now considered to be the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with nearly 34 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 21 million lacking healthcare services, 8.6 million displaced inside the country and over 4 million having fled the country as refugees.

More than 40,000 injuries have been reported in Sudan since April 2023, while civilians continue to be killed, injured and displaced in ongoing attacks, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan. The true death toll is unconfirmed but is likely far higher than available figures suggest.

The IHL Centre therefore renews its urgent call for sustained and principled engagement with arms bearers to protect civilians, secure humanitarian access, and guarantee full compliance with IHL. These obligations are not optional and do not diminish with the intensity or duration of the conflict.

We also call on third states, the wider humanitarian ecosystem and the international community to exercise their influence to prevent and bring to an end all violations of international law in Sudan.

Please see below our full statement.