Fighting in Sudan is expected to worsen during the rainy season.
In Khartoum, recent developments shook the capital as the county’s military retaliated against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have had control over certain parts of the city since April 15, 2023. The government has taken back the Halfaya Bridge, which was under the jurisdiction of the RSF. Around 78 civilians have been killed fighting in and around the Khartoum area since the start of September.
Internationally, the UK has made a statement with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on technical assistance for South Sudan. This was delivered by Eleanor Sanders, the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador. She has been the permanent deputy representative in Geneva since August 2024.
The statement scrutinized the Sudanese government’s recent actions. “We are concerned by the government of South Sudan’s recent decision to extend the revitalised peace agreement by two years. This has delayed democracy for the South Sudanese, who have not had the chance to elect their leaders since independence.”
Previously, on September 21, The UN Commission in South Sudan for Human Rights said the Transitional Constitution was amended to extend by another two years the transitional governance arrangements in place under the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. This was the second extension after the one in August of 2022, which has delayed addressing human rights issues and any means of achieving peace.
The statement, released on October 4, 2024, further probed the OHCHR on its responsibilities regarding the new National Security Service Bill, allowing arrests without a warrant, and ended on an assertive note, “How is OHCHR working with the government of South Sudan to ensure this Bill does not undermine civic space nor further entrench impunity within South Sudan’s security forces?”
