For three years, civilians in Sudan have borne the brunt of a conflict epitomised by widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, often amounting to atrocity crimes.
Once, such a conflict would have moved continental leaders into action.
But three years in, concrete measures by African states and bodies to protect civilians and end impunity are still wilfully lacking.
What began in April 2023 as a power struggle between the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has evolved into widespread abuses, generating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 14 million people displaced and famine spreading.
African leaders have repeatedly convened and increasingly condemned abuses but have failed to deploy a civilian protection force or to significantly move the needle on accountability for serious crimes.
They have not endorsed or carried out recommendations by the AU’s investigative body or sanctioned those most responsible for violations.
The war has featured repeated atrocities against civilians, ravaged once-vibrant cities and decimated civilian infrastructure. The UN fact-finding mission said the RSF takeover of El Fasher, North Darfur, late last year bore the “hallmarks of genocide”.
Survivors told us about multiple massacres, an abduction-for-ransom racket and widespread rape in and around El Fasher. RSF fighters even singled out people with disabilities for abuse.
The Sudanese army, the SAF and its affiliated forces have been arbitrarily detaining civilians they accuse of collaboration, often targeting individuals based on their ethnicity, political opinion or local aid work. Both warring parties have increasingly used drone strikes, killing hundreds of civilians and hitting civilian infrastructure in the conflict’s new epicentre.
The African response has been largely rhetorical and has failed to lead to concrete action.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development convened emergency summits shortly after the outbreak of fighting in April 2023, yet these efforts quickly stalled amid the refusal of the warring parties to engage and increasing divisions among member states.
The media has increasingly reported that African states have aligned themselves with one side or the other, weakening the prospect of collective action that could help secure civilian protection and accountability.
As fighting escalated in El Fasher in May 2024, the AU Peace and Security Council called on its high-level panel on Sudan and the AU special envoy for the prevention of genocide to draw up a civilian protection plan. It made a similar call a month later.
Almost two years on, there is no evidence that such a plan has been initiated or that measures to protect civilians have been taken.
Twice in mid-2024, the AU Peace and Security Council called on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to investigate the human rights situation in Sudan and make recommendations on holding those responsible for atrocities to account.
Six months after the release of the ACHPR preliminary report, the Peace and Security Council has still not asked the ACHPR to brief the council on its findings, let alone act on the report’s recommendations.
Some African governments have shown moral leadership regarding crises outside of the continent, notably in Palestine but have not taken such bold and principled steps for Sudan.
S
outh Africa filed a genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice in December 2023. South Africa and Senegal joined the Hague Group, a group of states seeking to bolster respect for international law in Palestine.
While South Africa received the RSF leader in early 2024, it has since increasingly condemned atrocities, including those by the RSF in El Fasher and voted in favour of ongoing international investigations.
But it has not shown the same level of leadership in following up, either unilaterally or through the AU, with robust political, financial or other measures aimed at ending the cycles of impunity in Sudan.
Earlier this year, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK established a coalition to prevent atrocities and promote justice in Sudan.
African governments should not stay on the sidelines. They should join the coalition and shape discussions around civilian protection, including spelling out what a civilian protection mission would look like.
African states should also move the needle on accountability.
The Peace and Security Council should adopt and implement the ACHPR recommendations and African states should ensure that ongoing investigations by the ACHPR and the UN fact-finding mission on Sudan have what they need to be effective, notably by pressing Sudan to grant investigators access to the country.
African states should also bolster ongoing International Criminal Court investigations and press for the expansion of the ICC’s jurisdiction, currently limited to Darfur, to cover the whole of Sudan.
They should also investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of committing serious international crimes in Sudan through the principle of universal jurisdiction.
Finally, the AU and its member states should act against the leaders of abusive forces, notably through targeted individual sanctions.
Sudan’s war is no longer just a Sudanese tragedy. It is a continental stress test and it is unfolding largely without decisive African leadership. The AU should seize the opportunity of this year’s chilling anniversary to change that.
Allan Ngari is Africa advocacy director and Laetitia Bader is deputy Africa director, both at Human Rights Watch
What began in April 2023 as a power struggle between the leaders of the SAF and RSF has evolved into widespread abuses, generating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 14 million people displaced and famine spreading
