UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed alarm Friday over reports of summary executions in Khartoum North, Sudan, where fighters allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have allegedly killed civilians since regaining control of the area.
The UN Human Rights Office verified at least 18 deaths, including one woman, in seven separate incidents since January 25. Most victims were from Sudan’s Darfur or Kordofan regions. Türk emphasized that such killings constitute war crimes, calling for immediate investigations under international standards.
The high commissioner also highlighted disturbing video evidence from January 30 showing SAF uniformed personnel and Al Baraa Bin Malik Brigade members reading lists of alleged RSF collaborators, marking them as “killed.” Additional attacks included a drone strike on Al-Saudi Maternity Hospital that killed 67 people and injured 19, while shelling at Abu Shouk displacement camp left nine civilians dead.
The violence stems from the ongoing conflict between the SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The former allies became rivals when their power-sharing dispute erupted into warfare in April 2023.
The pattern of violence extends beyond direct civilian casualties. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday reported widespread attacks on civilian infrastructure across Sudan. The organization documented strikes on power plants, water stations, and dams in Northern State, River Nile, Sennar, White Nile, and Gedaref that have severely disrupted essential services. The ICRC noted that these attacks, which endanger technical teams maintaining these facilities, violate international humanitarian law and commitments made through the Jeddah Declaration of May 2023, which intended to facilitate a week-long ceasefire and the distribution of humanitarian aid within the country.
According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2025, both warring parties have committed extensive atrocities throughout the conflict. These include indiscriminate bombing of populated areas, deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, systematic sexual violence, and obstruction of humanitarian aid. The organization documented that RSF forces have employed sexual violence as a weapon of war in Al Gezira state, while similar patterns emerged in Nyala and Zalingei.
The conflict has triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Over 10.8 million people have been displaced since April 2023, with warring parties deliberately blocking aid access. Human Rights Watch reported that authorities aligned with SAF have imposed bureaucratic restrictions hampering humanitarian organizations, while RSF’s presence in hospitals and widespread looting have prevented civilians from accessing essential services. In response to these widespread abuses, the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched an investigation in July 2023 into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict.
