HRC61 – Oral statement on the situation in Sudan
Accountability & Rule of Law - Gender Equality & GBV - Sudan - Advocacy
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 61st Session
Statement by Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) on the Human Rights Situation in Sudan
26 February 2026
Mr President, Excellencies,
Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) supports the Fact-Finding Mission’s report. We speak today for the survivors of El Fasher who endured over 500 days of siege and systematic sexual violence.
In El Fasher, rape, sexualized enslavement, and ethnic targeting were used strategically to destroy community bonds. One survivor of rape told us:
“The RSF entered our house and raped us in front of our parents. I became pregnant and had an abortion in my second month.”
Our investigations reveal that foreign arms, ammunition, and drone systems – specifically linked to the UAE and third-state transit routes – significantly enabled these RSF operations. Each resupply cycle aligned with foreseeable spikes in civilian harm.
States must not authorize arms transfers where there is an overriding risk of international law violations. Under the duty to prevent genocide, state responsibility arises once a serious risk is known. Despite clear warnings, these supplies continue.
We urge this Council to call on States to immediately suspend such transfers.
Mr. President,
In light of the evidence before you, what concrete steps will the Council take to ensure that States that armed and enabled the siege of El Fasher are identified and held to account, and that no further transfers proceed where the risk of atrocity crimes is credible and overwhelming?
Thank you.
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