Amnesty International warns of intensifying civilian suffering in Sudan

Africa, Crime Diary

INTERNATIONAL — 15 April 2026 (NPA) — Amnesty International has sounded the alarm over worsening atrocities in Sudan as the country marks three years since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The organisation said the conflict continues to intensify, leaving civilians exposed to indiscriminate attacks, looting, sexual violence, and the destruction of vital infrastructure.

Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians and the obstruction of humanitarian aid, warning that “minimal, half-hearted and lacklustre responses” from the African Union, the UN Security Council, and other international actors have emboldened perpetrators. She urged urgent action to prioritise civilian protection, accountability for war crimes, and unhindered humanitarian access.

Since April 2023, Amnesty has documented systemic abuses by both the SAF and RSF, including unlawful killings, rape, sexual slavery, torture, enforced disappearances, and widespread looting. The organisation highlighted atrocities such as the April 2025 attack on Zamzam, Sudan’s largest camp for internally displaced persons, where RSF fighters killed civilians, pillaged property, and displaced over 400,000 people. Similar abuses were reported in El Fasher after the RSF seized the city following an 18-month siege.

Amnesty called on the UN Security Council to expand its referral of the Darfur conflict to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to cover crimes across Sudan, and urged the international community to increase funding and pressure both sides to allow lifesaving aid. “The Sudan conflict is not forgotten; it is being deliberately ignored and neglected. Behind this neglect are countless human beings undergoing untold suffering as the world looks the other way. This has to stop,” Callamard said.