HRC55: oral statement during the enhanced interactive dialogue on High Commissioners report on Sudan

Item 2: Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner’s report on Sudan (with assistance from the Designated Expert)

Organisation:Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Speaker:Claire Denman

Thank you, Mr President

CSW thanks the High Commissioner for his report and for his assessment, together with the Designated Expert, on the human rights situation in Sudan since April 2023. We remain extremely concerned by the severe human rights and humanitarian crisis.

We welcome the inclusion of artillery strikes on places of worship in the report.

The deliberate targeting of places of worship is of concern given their protected status in international law. It also has humanitarian implications as civilians regularly seek refuge in worship centres.

There is also an emerging pattern of deliberate targeting of Christian worship centres by both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The SAF have bombed churches in Bahri and Omdurman, such as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church which was destroyed in an artillery strike on 6 November 2023. Mosques were also bombed in El Geneina and Khartoum by the SAF during their military campaign.

The RSF have also attacked, looted and destroyed churches, and harassed, shot and in some cases, forced church leaders to convert to Islam. In addition, in several incidents the RSF has forced Christians out of their churches before using them as military bases.

In January 2024, in Wad-Madani, Gazira state, the RSF burned the evangelical church, neighbouring Greek church, and attacked a Coptic Christian monastery.

Perpetrators of violations targeting civilians or civilian objects must be held accountable. We urge the High Commissioner, Designated Expert and Fact-Finding Mission to pay attention to the specific vulnerabilities and violations perpetrated against religious or belief communities in their reporting.

Thank you.