The UN-designated human rights expert for Sudan, Radwan Nuwiser, assured the Sudanese government that he will not meet with the parallel “government” recently declared by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.
During his meeting on Thursday with Minister of Justice Dr. Abdullah Dirf, Nuwiser stated that a directive and statement issued by the UN Secretary-General clearly rejects recognition of such entities, adding that he “will not meet with these bodies—neither now nor in ten years,” as he put it.
Minister Dirf noted that the expert reaffirmed his commitment to international conventions and to the guidance of the UN Secretary-General, as well as regional and international organizations that do not recognize such entities.
The Justice Minister stressed that Sudan remains open to cooperation with all human rights mechanisms—except those it has previously objected to, including the Fact-Finding Mission. He added: “We emphasized to him that we continue to demand that reports concerning the expert, or any UN human rights mechanisms, must explicitly reference the war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed by the terrorist rebel militia. These crimes must be condemned and clearly highlighted in reports, statements, and communications issued by the expert or other UN human rights bodies.”
Dirf further underscored Sudan’s rejection of any attempt to equate the national institution—the Sudanese Armed Forces, entrusted with protecting the nation’s land, people, and honor—with the terrorist rebel militia in any human rights reports, statements, or communications.
