The Sudanese Alliance for Rights unequivocally denounces the extrajudicial killing of 18 civilians in Al-Hammadi Village, South Kordofan State, on 15 May 2025. According to credible reports, the Sudanese Armed Forces, supported by allied units, launched a violent attack resulting in the deaths of six women and four children among the victims, all of whom were local residents. According to reports, no Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were present in the village at the time.
This deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a flagrant breach of Sudan’s domestic legal framework as well as a series of international treaties and customary laws to which Sudan is legally bound. Both Sudanese national law and international legal standards provide strong protections for civilians, particularly in contexts of armed conflict. Below is a detailed breakdown of the legal violations incurred by this incident:
Sudan’s legal framework enshrines the protection of human life and dignity, and imposes criminal liability on perpetrators of unlawful killings, including agents of the state.
- Violation of the Right to Life:
Article 28 of the 2005 Interim National Constitution of Sudan guarantees every person the inherent right to life and prohibits the arbitrary deprivation of life. The deliberate killing of civilians outside of lawful judicial procedures violates this constitutional guarantee. - Premeditated Murder (Article 130, Penal Code 1991):
The intentional and unlawful killing of individuals constitutes premeditated murder under Sudanese law. This provision criminalises the deliberate act of taking life with malice aforethought, for which members of the Sudanese Armed Forces must be held accountable. - Crimes Against Humanity (Article 186, Penal Code as amended):
Following Sudan’s ratification of the Rome Statute, Article 186 was incorporated into domestic law to criminalise crimes against humanity. The coordinated and systematic targeting of civilians, as seen in Al-Hammadi, meets the threshold of widespread or systematic attacks against a civilian population. - Unlawful Use of Force and Breach of Military Conduct:
The Sudanese Armed Forces are bound by internal regulations and national legislation prohibiting the use of excessive or indiscriminate force in civilian areas. Their actions in Al-Hammadi constitute not only criminal offences but also disciplinary breaches under military law and Sudan’s Armed Forces Act.
Sudan is a State Party to numerous international treaties and is bound by international humanitarian law (IHL), international human rights law (IHRL), and customary international legal principles. The attack on Al-Hammadi violates several of these obligations:
- International Humanitarian Law – Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions:
As Sudan is engaged in a non-international armed conflict, Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions applies. It prohibits violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, committed against persons taking no active part in hostilities. The massacre in Al-Hammadi is a direct violation of this core provision of IHL. - Violation of the Right to Life – ICCPR Article 6:
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Sudan acceded in 1986, enshrines the right to life as a non-derogable right under Article 6. The extrajudicial execution of unarmed civilians, including women and children, constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of life and a gross violation of Sudan’s treaty obligations. - Breach of Customary International Law – Principles of Distinction and Proportionality:
The principle of distinction, a cornerstone of IHL, requires parties to a conflict to distinguish at all times between combatants and civilians. The principle of proportionality prohibits attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm relative to the anticipated military advantage. The attack on Al-Hammadi, a civilian village with no military targets, breaches both principles and is therefore unlawful under customary international law. - Potential War Crimes – Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC):
Article 8 of the Rome Statute classifies intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as a war crime in both international and non-international armed conflicts. Sudan, though it withdrew from the Rome Statute process in 2010, has adopted many of its provisions domestically. Furthermore, such crimes are prosecutable under universal jurisdiction and fall under the purview of international criminal accountability mechanisms.
In light of the grave violations committed in Al-Hammadi Village, the Sudanese Alliance for Rights urges the Sudanese authorities to take immediate and concrete steps toward justice and accountability. This includes the launch of an independent, transparent, and impartial investigation into the events of 15 May 2025; the prosecution of all individuals, including those in command, found responsible for ordering, facilitating, or executing the attack; and the provision of adequate reparations and support to the families of the victims. We also call upon the international community, including the African Union, United Nations, and all relevant international human rights bodies, to take robust and coordinated action to prevent further atrocities. The cycle of violence must end, and the dignity and rights of Sudan’s people must be upheld.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights
21 May 2025
