Independent UN Report on Atrocities in Sudan

 The UN Human Rights Council published on 5 September 2025 a report titled "Sudan: A War of Atrocities."

An Independent Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan compiled this report, which documents widespread violence against individuals and communities, including killings, mass displacement, detention, enforced disappearance, and sexual violence.  Medical centers, schools, markets, food production systems, electricity stations, and displacement camps suffered extensive damage. 

Both the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces perpetrated war crimes, but the RSF and their allies generally were the most criticized of the two sides.  

 

Sudan Rejects Call for International Force to Protect Civilians

 The BBC published on 8 September 2024 an article titled "Sudan Rejects UN Call for Peace Force to Protect Civilians" by Farouk Chothia.

Sudan's military-led government has rejected in its "entirety" a call by a UN fact finding mission for the deployment of an international force to protect civilians from the effects of the ongoing civil war.  The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has not commented on the request.  

UN Fact Finding Mission Calls for Neutral Force to Defend Civilians in Sudan

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published on 6 September 2024 a press release titled "Sudan: UN Fact-Finding Mission Outlines Extensive Human Rights Violations, International Crimes, Urges Protection of Civilians." 

The three experts from Tanzania, Nigeria, and Jordan/Switzerland found an appalling range of human rights violations and international crimes in Sudan and called for immediate steps to protect civilians.  The experts were especially critical of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.  They underscored the need to expand the arms embargo in Darfur and the immediate need to create "an independent and impartial force with a mandate to safeguard civilians."

The Associated Press published on 6 September 2024 an article titled "UN Investigators Urge Impartial Force as Sudan War Crimes Intensify." 

The article reports on the UN Fact-Finding Mission press release but points out that the experts did not specify which countries are complicit in war crimes nor suggest which countries might join a neutral force to protect civilians in Sudan.

It Is Up to UN to Protect Civilians in Sudan

 The Middle East Institute published on 13 September 2023 a commentary titled "The UN Must Step Up on Sudan" by Jehanne Henry, a human rights lawyer.  

Aside from providing and coordinating humanitarian assistance, the United Nations has not taken sufficient action to end the war in Sudan.  It is up to the UN to determine how to protect civilians in Sudan from ongoing violence.  

Accountability for War Crimes in Ethiopia Necessary for Permanent Peace

 Aljazeera published on 13 December 2022 an opinion piece titled "Justice in Ethiopia Must Not Be Killed By a Peace Deal" by Mehari Taddele Maru.

Accountability for all war crimes in Ethiopia is essential if there is to be real peace.  

China Seeks African Adulation for Xi Jinping

 South Africa's The Globe and Mail published on 12 October 2022 an article titled "African Allies Bolster Chinese President Xi As He Prepares for Third Term" by Geoffrey York and James Griffiths.

China is mobilizing its allies to praise its paramount ruler and deflect his critics.  In South Africa, Chinese officials rounded up an array of politicians in Cape Town to sing the praises of the latest volume of Xi Jinping's  series of books on governance in China and to echo his ideological view of the world.  

Most African Countries Support China on Human Rights in Xinjiang

 The Associated Press published on 6 October 2022 an article titled "UN Rights Body Rejects Western Bid to Debate Xinjiang Abuses" by Jamey Keaten.  

The 47-member UN Human Rights Council in a victory for China voted against holding a debate on alleged human rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang region.  The proposal supported by the United States, Turkey, United Kingdom, and mostly western countries received 17 positive votes, 19 against, and 11 abstentions.  

Among African members, only Somalia supported the proposal while 8 countries (Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Gabon, Mauritania, Namibia, Senegal, and Sudan) voted against and 4 countries (Benin, Gambia, Libya, and Malawi) abstained.  

For a breakdown of the vote, see the Voice of America's 7 October 2022 "Human Rights Groups, China Voice Strong, Opposing Reactions to UN Vote" by Asim Kashgarian.  

The War in Ukraine and US Policy in Afrca

 Just Security published on 18 April 2022 a commentary titled "How the War in Ukraine Illustrates the Weakness of US Policy Toward Africa" by Aude Darnal, Atlantic Council.

African countries' reluctance to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine underscores a long-standing US policy of relegating them to the background of US foreign policy.

Why Many African Leaders Remain Neutral on Ukraine

 Foreign Policy published on 13 April 2022 a commentary titled "Why African Leaders Won't Back the West on Ukraine" by Nosmot Gbadamosi.

The author concluded that committed nonalignment, fear of upsetting China, and reliance on Russia for arms and security led many African leaders to ignore Western requests to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.  

Ukraine's President Asks to Address African Union

 Aljazeera published on 12 April 2022 an article titled "Ukraine's Zelenskyy Requests Address with African Union."

The president of Ukraine made a request to the head of the African Union to address the member states following the neutral position on Russia's invasion of Ukraine by many African states.  

Only Ten African States Vote to Expel Russia from UN Human Rights Council

 The UN General Assembly voted on 7 April 2022 to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council because of its human rights abuses in Ukraine.  The vote was 93 in favor, 24 opposed, 58 abstaining, and the remainder not voting.  

Only ten (Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, DRC, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone) of Africa's fifty-four countries voted to expel Russia.  Nine (Algeria, Burundi, CAR, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali, and Zimbabwe) voted alongside Russia in a failed effort to defeat the resolution.  The two major surprises opposing the resolution were Ethiopia and Gabon.  Twenty-four African states abstained and eleven did not vote.  

Russia, Joined only by Eritrea, Increasingly Isolated at the UN

 The Associated Press published on 4 March 2022 an article titled "Russia's Isolation over Ukraine War Grows at UN Human Rights Body."

Thirty-two of the 47 members of the UN Human Rights Council voted in favor of a resolution to establish a three-member panel of experts to monitor human rights in Ukraine.  Thirteen states, including China, abstained.  The only country to support Russia in opposing the resolution was Eritrea.  Most countries spoke out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.  

African Position on Urgent Ukraine Debate in UN Human Rights Council

 Ukraine requested and obtained permission on 28 February 2022 to hold an urgent debate in the UN Human Rights Council on the human rights situation stemming from the Russian invasion.  The vote was 29 in favor, 5 against, and 13 abstentions.

The 5 countries opposing the debate were Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela, and Eritrea.

The 29 favoring the debate included Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Libya, and Malawi.  

The 13 abstentions included Cameroon, Gabon, Mauritania, Namibia, Senegal, Somalia, and Sudan.  

China Says No to UN Human Rights Commission for Ethiopia

 The South China Morning Post published on 19 December 2021 an article titled "China Votes 'No' on Tigray Abuses Probe by UN Team, Calls It Interference in Ethiopia's Affairs" by Jevans Nyabiage.  

The article updates China's position on the conflict in Ethiopia and, especially, its opposition to a European Union-led effort to create an independent human rights commission to look into human right's abuses as a result of the conflict in Ethiopia.  

UN Human Rights Council Establishes International Commission of Experts on Ethiopia

 UN News published on 17 December 2021 an article titled "Ethiopia Crisis: Human Rights Council Sets Up International Rights Probe."

Deutsche Welle published on 17 December 2021 an article titled "UN Human Rights Council to Investigate War Crimes in Ethiopia."

The European Union sponsored the resolution with the support of the US.  The government of Ethiopia opposed the resolution.  The final vote was 21 in favor, 15 opposed, and 11 abstentions.  China and Russia opposed the resolution together with 7 Africans (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Namibia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Gabon).  Six African countries abstained (Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Sudan, and Togo).  The Commission will comprise three human rights experts appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council to investigate alleged violations of human rights, humanitarian and refugee law committed by all parties to the conflict in Tigray.

Has Ethiopia Reached Ethnic Cleansing?

 The Washington Post published on 16 December 2021 an article titled "Ethiopian Refugees Say They Escaped 'Final Stage of Ethnic Cleansing' in Western Tigray" by Max Bearak.  

The article draws on first person remarks by a small number of Tigrayans who were either removed from or escaped western Tigray, which is now under the control of Amhara militia, Eritrean forces and Ethiopian central government troops.  

UN Human Rights Council Statement on Xinjiang: No African Signers

 Canada introduced on 22 June 2021 at the UN Human Rights Council a "Joint Statement on the Human Rights Situation in Xinjiang."  It expressed grave concern about the situation in Xinjiang and commented on the deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong and human rights situation in Tibet.

Forty-four countries, mostly European, a few Latin American and Pacific Island nations, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and the US signed the statement.  Not a single country in Africa signed.  

Why Some African Governments Support China's Xinjiang Policy

 Human Rights Watch posted on 29 March 2021 a commentary titled "Why Are Some African Governments Shielding China Over Xinjiang?" by Carine Kaneza Nantulya.  

Citing the most recent examples of Burkina Faso, Republic of Congo, and Sudan, the author suggests these governments publicly supported China's policies in Xinjiang region so as not to undermine the economic benefits they receive from China.  

African Countries Support China's Crackdown on Hong Kong

Axios published on 3 July 2020 an article titled "The 53 Countries Supporting China's Crackdown on Hong Kong" by Dave Lawler.

Cuba presented a resolution before the UN Human Rights Council backing Beijing's new national security law for Hong Kong, which is widely seen in the West as a repressive crackdown.  The UK presented a resolution opposing the security law.  Fifty-three countries, including twenty-five in Africa, supported Cuba's resolution that backed the crackdown.  Twenty-seven countries, not a single one in Africa, backed the UK resolution that was critical of the crackdown.

The twenty-five African countries that supported the crackdown were: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  The real surprise on this list is Morocco.  Sudan, in view of its efforts to democratize, is something of a surprise although its much diminished oil sector is still beholden to China.  Somalia is also something of a surprise as it does not owe China anything; most of its support comes from the West and Turkey.  Niger is a mild surprise. 

The Trump administration pulled the United States out of the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 making it largely irrelevant. 

If African leaders are wondering why the West is losing interest in the continent and no longer taking many African governments seriously, all they have to do is reflect on votes like this.   

Serious Human Rights Problems Continue in South Sudan

The United Nations posted on 20 February 2019 the third report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan concluded that despite the signing of a peace agreement, human rights violations including rape and sexual violence continue to occur which may amount to international crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.