HRC60: Oral statement during Interactive Dialogue with the Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan

Item 2:Interactive Dialogue with the Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan

Speaker:Claire Denman

Thank you, Mr President, and members of the Fact-Finding Mission.

The impact of this war on civilians leaves little room for interpretation – this is a war waged on the most vulnerable. It has devastated civilian populations. Nearly 12 million people have been displaced.

The targeting of humanitarian infrastructure, cultural and religious sites, including places of worship, is of grave concern.

In December 2024 an SAF airstrike against a church in Khartoum led to the deaths of 11 people, including eight children. In June the RSF bombed three churches in El Fasher. At least five people were killed including Father Luka Jono, the parish priest of the Catholic church.

El Fasher, has been under siege since April 2024. In April 2025 the RSF seized the Abu Souk and Zamzam camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs). These two camps, near El Fasher, form the largest IDP settlement in Sudan.

Incidents of conflict related sexual violence and gender-based violence, which may amount to atrocity crimes, continue to be reported. The targeting of women and children is a harrowing aspect of this conflict, and deliberate attacks on hospitals, medical centres, and humanitarian workers further reduces access to vital and at times life-saving support for those who need it.

The FFM’s ability to collect evidence, monitor, document and report on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Sudan, including the collection and preservation of testimonies, remains essential. Without accountability, lasting peace, justice and rule of law cannot prevail. We urge members of this Council to ensure that the mandate of the FFM is renewed, and that it is fully resourced and able to carry out its work without hindrance.

Thank you.