Zamzam refugee camp, outside the Darfur town of al-Fasher - aljazeera - [File: AP/Nasser Nasser]

By: Wael Mahjoub

The United Nations Human Rights Council is expected to vote next week on a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Sudan and the establishment of an independent international monitoring mechanism to ensure its implementation. According to international news agencies, a preliminary draft of the resolution describes the violations committed against civilians since the outbreak of war in mid-April 2023 as war crimes warranting referral to the International Criminal Court.

The 25-paragraph draft strongly condemns the grave violations against civilians in Sudan and stresses the need to hold those responsible accountable, labeling the acts as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to the draft, both parties to the conflict have committed flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, including:

Bombing residential areas and infrastructure

Extrajudicial killings

Ethnically motivated attacks

Gender-based violence

The Council calls for an immediate, complete, and unconditional ceasefire, the creation of an independent mechanism to monitor its implementation, the rehabilitation of vital infrastructure, and a negotiated, peaceful resolution to the conflict. It also urges the launch of a credible, inclusive political transition led by civilians.

These steps represent the most significant move by the UN Human Rights Council since the war began, aiming to take decisive action. The Council’s findings are based on documented reports from the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the war, which it itself established.

If the resolution is passed and monitoring mechanisms are formed, it could pave the way for a genuine ceasefire—something that was missing from the Jeddah talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which failed to enforce agreed-upon truces.

It’s clear that regional and international efforts have accelerated since the announcement of the Quartet Roadmap. The European Union, African Union, United Nations, and IGAD have all expressed support for the roadmap and are now actively part of the mechanism.

The latest regional movement includes the visit of Egypt’s Foreign Minister to Sudan and his meeting with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Following the meeting, he affirmed Egypt’s commitment to securing a ceasefire, enabling humanitarian access, and laying the groundwork for a comprehensive political process—indicating that the visit focused on these goals.

If the Human Rights Council adopts the resolution, it will mark the beginning of the Quartet Roadmap’s implementation. It will also establish a legal international framework that enhances the mechanism’s ability to pressure both warring parties. A ceasefire would then be the first step toward ending the war and initiating a political process.

These developments will undoubtedly have internal repercussions within the warring camps. As noted in last week’s article, the camps are likely to begin unraveling, potentially leading to shifts across various fronts. The margin for maneuvering has narrowed, leaving little room for the kind of manipulation that has persisted since the war’s outbreak.

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