Geneva / Nairobi — The designated expert on Sudan of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, warns of the catastrophic human rights situation in the country, and that "the civilian population in Sudan has been exposed to unprecedented levels of violence and suffering..."
In a statement on Friday following his visit to Port Sudan between July 4 and July 11, OHCHR Sudan expert Radhouane Nouicer* described the scale and level of violations committed in Sudan as "appalling".
"Since the start of this senseless conflict last year, the civilian population in Sudan has been exposed to unprecedented levels of violence and suffering. As always in times of war, it is civilians who are bearing the brunt. The scale and magnitude of human rights violations and abuses committed in Sudan are appalling."
During his visit to Port Sudan, Nouicer met with Sudanese authorities, including the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and key acting Ministers, with whom he engaged in frank and transparent discussions, in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
"In my meetings, I urged authorities to immediately take action on four key priority areas", Nouicer said.
"First, to ensure the protection of civilians in the context of hostilities by refraining from indiscriminate attacks, including through the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas. Second, to allow unhindered humanitarian access - including by speeding up administrative processes - to allow for humanitarian assistance to be delivered to those in need. Third, to refrain from arbitrarily arresting and detaining people, including civil society actors; and fourth, to ensure accountability for all human rights violations and abuses, regardless of the perpetrators."
Nouicer added: "I also heard directly from displaced communities and witnessed first-hand the impact of the conflict on their lives. I was appalled by the conditions in which people have been obliged to live, under scorching temperatures, with limited access to essential services such as water, sanitation and hygiene, including female hygiene products, food and health care."
Nouicer stressed that the conflict in Sudan has resulted in an unprecedented protection crisis.
"It is high time for the Sudanese leadership to cease hostilities and to engage in a comprehensive and inclusive peace process. Every country that has influence or leverage should aim to reach and support this goal," he said.
"I also recall that all actors should comply with the arms embargo measures as stipulated in Security Council resolution 1556 (2004). Further, under international human rights law, arms-exporting countries may be held responsible for their failure to take reasonable steps to prevent, investigate, punish, and ensure reparations for human rights violations and abuses resulting from arms transfers," Nouicer says.
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Nouicer's latest warning echoes his previous statements as reported by Radio Dabanga. In February, the 55th session of the OHCHR in Geneva heard: "Though the de facto government in Port Sudan prevented Radhouane Nouicer, UN Expert on Human Rights in Sudan, from visiting the country, he succeeded in obtaining 303 reports of gross human rights violations."
The OHCHR conducted monitoring missions to Chad and Ethiopia in June and July last year, as the security situation in Sudan "imposed serious limitations to access to the most violence-affected areas," according to the first draft of the Council's report. This pushed the OHCHR to rely heavily on remote monitoring of human rights violations.
*Radhouane Nouicer was appointed in late 2022 by the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the request of the Human Rights Council to document and report on violations committed in Sudan since the joint coup d'état of the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support forces (RSF) on 25 October 2021. He conducted a first visit to Sudan in February 2023, just prior to the hostilities. This will be his second official visit to the country since he was appointed.
