September 8, Port Sudan — On Saturday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry announced its rejection to the recommendations of the fact-finding mission formed by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
On Friday, a UN report said that that the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies practiced widespread patterns of violations that included indiscriminate and direct attacks on civilians, schools, hospitals, civilian infrastructure and other vital facilities.
The fact-finding mission recommended the immediate deployment of an independent and neutral force tasked with protecting civilians in Sudan, provided that all parties to the conflict comply with international law and stop attacks against civilians immediately and unconditionally.
The report recommended that the existing arms embargo in Darfur be expanded to all parts of Sudan, in order to stop the supply of weapons, ammunition and other forms of logistical or financial support to the parties to the conflict and prevent further escalation.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the mission “propaganda work” and said the recommendations were “a flagrant violation of their mandate.”
“The Government of Sudan rejects the recommendations of the fact-finding mission in their entirety and renews its declared position on the mission and cooperation with it,” they said.
The statement continued: “This behavior embodies the committee’s lack of professionalism and independence and confirms that it is a political rather than a legal body, which supports the position of the Government of Sudan regarding it since its formation, which was not supported by any African or Arab country.”