Friday, April 17, 2026 | Author – Alex Onyango | Nairobi-Kenya | File Photo | GT-News |
World leaders meeting in Berlin have been urged to take urgent, concrete action to protect civilians in Sudan, as the country’s devastating conflict enters its fourth year.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the conference on 15 April must go beyond rhetoric and deliver time-bound measures to stop atrocities and hold perpetrators accountable.
The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered what rights groups describe as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, marked by widespread war crimes, mass displacement, and continued arms flows to both sides.
“Another year in Sudan has been marred by widespread war crimes and massive civilian suffering,” said Mohamed Osman, Sudan researcher at HRW. “This meeting must galvanise real international action.”
Escalating violence
The Berlin talks, hosted by Germany alongside partners including the African Union, EU, UK and US, come amid intensified fighting in Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Since January, both sides have reportedly used explosive weapons in populated areas, including drone strikes on civilian infrastructure.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says a drone strike by the Sudanese army on a hospital in East Darfur on 20 March killed 70 people, including 15 children. In a separate incident, the RSF allegedly struck a hospital in White Nile state on 2 April, killing at least 10 people, including medical staff.
The UN human rights office has warned that the growing use of drones highlights the deadly impact of increasingly accessible high-tech weapons in civilian areas.
Allegations of atrocities
In Darfur, the situation remains particularly severe. A UN fact-finding mission found that RSF attacks during the 2025 capture of El Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide”.
Survivors described mass killings, widespread sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and abductions for ransom.
Meanwhile, HRW says the Sudanese army and allied forces have carried out arbitrary arrests, often targeting individuals based on ethnicity or political affiliation. Detainees have reportedly faced torture and been denied due process.
Calls for accountability
Rights groups are calling on governments at the Berlin conference to back stronger accountability measures, including support for the International Criminal Court’s investigation in Darfur.
They also urge Sudan to hand over former president Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the ICC, and to allow independent investigators full access.
There are also calls to tighten enforcement of the UN arms embargo on Darfur and extend it nationwide, as well as to pressure external actors accused of backing the warring parties.
A critical moment
The Berlin meeting is seen as a key opportunity to expand a recently formed coalition aimed at preventing atrocities and advancing justice in Sudan.
Human Rights Watch says the stakes could not be higher.
“This must not become another missed opportunity,” Osman said. “World leaders need to take coordinated action now to protect civilians and end impunity.”
