UN rights council condemns attacks on civilians in Sudan, calls for truce

Resolution demands an immediate ceasefire and extends the mandate of the mission investigating abuses in Sudan.The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned drone strikes and other attacks on civilians in Sudan, warning warring parties that there is “no military solution to the crisis” in the country.The statement on Monday came as the World Food Programme said an air attack had hit a truck carrying food supplies in North Kordofan, killing one person.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Is the Sudanese army gaining momentum against the RSF?list 2 of 3Air strike in Sudan kills UN aid truck driver: WFPlist 3 of 3Four African leaders issue joint declaration as Ethiopia war escalatesend of listIn Geneva, the 47-member council adopted a resolution extending the mandate of its independent international fact-finding mission for Sudan by a vote of 28 to 10, with nine abstentions.Sudan urged member states to reject the measure, stating the council had failed to take its reservations into account.The war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 13 million, according to estimates cited by human rights groups.The resolution demanded “an immediate and complete ceasefire by all parties, without preconditions”, along with an independent monitoring mechanism and the restoration of basic infrastructure.It condemned widespread violations of international humanitarian law by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, citing “indiscriminate attacks against civilians” and “indiscriminate aerial bombardments and drone strikes resulting in civilian deaths and the destruction of critical infrastructure”, including schools and hospitals.Both sides have sharply increased their use of drones in recent months. UN figures show that drone strikes killed more than 1,100 people in the first five months of the year alone.