In what has been described as an unprecedented achievement for African civil society and a moral vindication for victims of violations in Sudan, the NGO Forum in Banjul has adopted a draft resolution calling on the Sudanese authorities to fully cooperate with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and to allow the deployment of independent technical teams within the country to conduct comprehensive and transparent investigations into the use of chemical weapons in conflict areas.
The resolution, formally adopted during the 85th Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, followed extensive debates and attempts to obstruct the vote through demands for additional clarifications and procedural delays. However, the majority of Forum participants insisted on passing the resolution, affirming that silence was no longer an option in the face of the grave human rights reports emerging from Khartoum, Al-Jazirah, Sennar, and Darfur.
Grounded in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and several related international conventions, the resolution notes that Sudan is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention and is legally bound to refrain from producing, developing, or using such weapons under any circumstances.
While the resolution referenced a statement by the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued on July 10 – affirming Khartoum’s adherence to the Convention and denying the use of such weapons – the Forum deemed the government’s position inadequate, as it failed to outline any concrete measures for investigation or to involve independent oversight bodies. This omission, the Forum argued, raises serious questions about the credibility of the military government’s denial.
Human rights organizations that introduced the draft resolution stated that its adoption represents genuine pressure on the Sudanese military authority, which continues to resist cooperation with international mechanisms or to permit independent investigations. They emphasized that “official denial does not absolve perpetrators of accountability; rather, it heightens the need for transparency and justice.”
The resolution is to be submitted on behalf of the Forum to the 86th Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, with the aim of establishing it as the official position of African civil society toward the grave violations taking place in Sudan.
Observers view the Forum’s adoption of this resolution as a significant turning point in the regional human rights stance toward Sudan – an important victory for victims and Sudanese civil society amid ongoing efforts by the military regime to obscure evidence and suppress human rights defenders.
The decision is also expected to help galvanize the official African position toward supporting calls for the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism under the auspices of the African Commission and the OPCW, potentially paving the way for accountability for those implicated in war crimes.
