UN's Sudan fact-finding mission blasts SAF-aligned government's ‘weak' argument for denying access

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has dismissed the arguments of the government aligned with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for refusing to allow its investigators into the country as 'weak'. Mohamed Chande Othman, chairman of the mission, told Sky News Arabia in an interview that it was ready to investigate the SAF's chemical weapons programme following recent reports exposing its existence. Sudan's SAF-aligned government has argued that its national investigative commission is sufficient and that several international bodies are already examining the conflict. 'I think those arguments are weak arguments because each mechanism is very specific,' said Mr Othman after presenting the mission's latest report, Fuelling the Conflict, to the UN Human Rights Council. He added that the mission's work was specifically focused on identifying perpetrators. 'We are collecting evidence in view of future accountability. This is our key finding,' he said. The mission has faced opposition from some countries that argue fact-finding projects should require the consent of the nation concerned. Mr Othman rejected that position, saying such missions are established by a majority vote of Human Rights Council members. Despite being denied access to Sudan, the mission will continue investigating the role of external actors in the war, including support, training and weapons supplied to the warring parties. Mr Othman said the issue was a major focus when the mission presented its latest report to the council, with more than 30 states and about 10 civil society organisations taking part in the discussion. 'The majority really were concerned about the role of external actors in Sudan conflict,' he explained, while stressing that this did not diminish the responsibility of Sudan's warring parties. 'In order for civilian harm to stop, the war must stop and whatever fuels the war must also stop,' he said. Mr Othman also said the mission was aware of recent reports alleging that SAF was manufacturing chemical weapons using chlorine, and stressed that the allegations would need to be examined. 'If there are violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, there is credible allegations, of course it is our work to look into this.' Mr Othman said the SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against which it is fighting, had obligations under international humanitarian law and had committed to respect and protect civilians with the Jeddah Declaration in May 2023. The war erupted in April of that year after a power struggle between the SAF, led by Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF, commanded by Gen Mohamed Dagalo. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with an estimated 20 million people suffering from hunger. Yet SAF leader Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan has vowed to continue fighting until the RSF is defeated, rejecting repeated attempts by the US and regional powers to broker a ceasefire. Both forces have been accused of grave abuse during the war. The UN fact-finding mission warned last week that foreign arms, military technology, fighters and logistical networks are strengthening both sides of the conflict and enabling increasingly sophisticated attacks against civilians. It said its investigation into the SAF found evidence that foreign-supplied combat drones and loitering munitions – ​which can hover over ‌an area before striking a target – had expanded its long-range strike capabilities. It said some of these weapons were used in attacks on civilian sites including Yabus ⁠Market in Blue Nile State. In the same week, reports published by The New York Times and Washington Post revealed the SAF has not only used chemical weapons in the devastating war but also built a secret stockpile that it later sought to conceal. A dossier of evidence detailed how the SAF tested bombs in Sudan's desert and built up its chemical weapons operation piece by piece before attempting to cover its tracks. Mr Othman said 'both parties' have been found to have targeted civilians, adding that the mission's role was to investigate individual incidents, assess evidence against international law and determine responsibility. He added that the investigation into external support for the warring parties was 'just beginning', adding: 'We will go deeper into this aspect of looking at the whole chain and what we call the chain of responsibility. In other words, the whole process in terms of the role of external actors, the role in the training, in the deployment, and so on'. Asked whether the SAF and RSF should have a role in governing Sudan in the future, he said this was ultimately a political question. 'The consensus is that what the Sudanese people want … is that Sudan should be a civilian-led, democratic process.'