The Sudanese Alliance for Rights (SAR) notes with grave concern that, following the United Nations Human Rights Council’s emergency session on 14 November 2025 and its adoption of a resolution mandating an urgent fact-finding mission into alleged mass atrocities in and around El-Fasher, Sudan’s Justice Minister Abdallah Darf publicly announced that the Port Sudan administration will not permit the UN fact-finding mission to enter the country and insisted that national investigative mechanisms are sufficient. The Human Rights Council’s decision to request an independent investigation reflected the serious and mounting evidence of killings, sexual violence, and other abuses in El-Fasher and was intended to establish an impartial record and identify those responsible. The Minister’s refusal to allow the mission into Sudan, coming after that resolution, undermines accountability efforts and obstructs an independent, credible process that is urgently needed to protect civilians and secure justice for victims.
SARS strongly condemns any attempt by de facto authorities to block independent scrutiny and accountability. Denying access to an impartial inquiry contravenes Sudan’s obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), the Geneva Conventions, and customary international law, which collectively guarantee access to justice, accountability for crimes, and the protection of civilians during conflict. Blocking the fact-finding mission will only deepen impunity, exacerbate suffering, and erode confidence that abuses will be investigated credibly.
We call on the Government of Sudan to reverse this position, to permit immediate and unfettered access for an international fact-finding mission as requested by the Human Rights Council, and to cooperate fully with international mechanisms seeking the truth. We further call on the United Nations, the African Union, regional states, and other international partners to press Sudanese authorities to comply with the resolution, to insist on independent investigations, and to take all necessary diplomatic and practical steps to ensure accountability and protection for civilians.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights
19 November 2025
