Sudan Warns African Union Mission Against Finalizing Report Without Wider Testimony

14 May 2026

Sudanese delegation participating at the 87th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights in Banjul on May 12, 2026

May 13, 2026 (BANJUL) – Sudanese officials warned the African Union’s fact-finding mission on Wednesday against publishing any final report before interviewing all affected parties.

Since its inception, the mission has released one report concluding that the Sudanese army, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and their allies committed widespread abuses. That report recommended deploying a force to protect civilians, establishing an international judicial mechanism, and expanding the Darfur arms embargo to cover all of Sudan.

The Sudanese delegation attending the 78th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights met with the head of the fact-finding mission and the AU commissioner for Sudan, Hatem al-Saim.

Sudan’s Ambassador to Addis Ababa and head of the delegation, Zain Ibrahim, said in a statement that he warned during the meeting “against publishing any final report before completing investigations with all those affected.”

He urged the mission to meet with Sudan’s national human rights mechanism and to document victims of RSF violations within the country.

The delegation reiterated Sudan’s reservations regarding the joint statement with the UN fact-finding mission, arguing that existing international and national mechanisms, such as the country office for human rights and the UN Human Rights Council’s designated expert, are sufficient.

On Tuesday, the AU and UN missions issued the “Banjul Declaration” during the 87th African Commission session held in the Gambian capital.

Sudan has consistently refused to cooperate with the UN fact-finding mission established in October 2023 and has denied its members entry to the country.

The Sudanese delegation briefed Hatem al-Saim on recent developments, including the relocation of state institutions to Khartoum and the voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons. The delegation also highlighted a peace initiative presented by the Prime Minister to the UN Security Council.

According to the statement, al-Saim briefed the delegation on the mission’s visit to refugee camps in eastern Chad, where they witnessed the scale of violations committed by the RSF in Darfur. He noted that virtual interviews were also conducted with victims in other regions.

The Banjul Declaration called for an end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, immediate steps toward a cessation of hostilities, and a sustainable ceasefire supported by monitoring and trust-building measures.

It further called for investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces and recommended the creation of an African-led accountability mechanism to prosecute perpetrators.