Killings, mass rape and drone strikes are escalating, with civilians paying the highest price, the UN says.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has sounded the alarm over Sudan’s deepening conflict, warning that the risk of genocidal violence is spreading as the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensifies.
Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Türk described the past three years as “another chapter in the chronicle of cruelty,” citing a dramatic surge in civilian deaths. At least 11,300 civilians were killed in 2025 alone — nearly triple the previous year’s figure — with thousands more missing.
He said both sides have used explosive weapons in densely populated areas, targeting schools, hospitals, markets and religious sites. Sexual violence has also escalated sharply, with over 500 documented victims this year, including cases of rape, gang rape and sexual slavery.
The UN’s Independent Fact-Finding Mission Chair, Mohamed Chande Othman, warned that attacks in El Fasher and North Darfur show “clear hallmarks of genocide,” particularly against Zaghawa and Fur communities. Mass killings, ethnic targeting and siege tactics have left thousands dead, including more than 460 people reportedly killed at El-Saudi hospital.
As fighting shifts toward the Kordofan region, the UN says drone strikes, blockades and attacks on aid convoys are increasing, killing or injuring nearly 600 civilians this year.
Both officials stressed that without urgent protection measures and credible accountability, the risk of further atrocities remains grave.
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