UN News Today 03 April 2025 |

Sudan emergency: UN rights chief condemns widespread extrajudicial killings

The fight for Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, likely involved widespread summary executions of civilians following its recent recapture by the Sudanese Armed Forces, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Thursday.

Citing credible reports of extrajudicial killings in several areas of the capital, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the victims were suspected of collaborating with rival fighters from the Rapid Support Forces.

Mr. Türk appealed to the commanders of the Sudanese Armed Forces to take immediate measures to stop such killings in which their soldiers were implicated, as well as State security personnel and affiliated militias.

From the UN human rights office in Geneva, here’s spokesperson Seif Magango:

“We noticed that that these killings are taking place in areas largely populated by people originally from Kordafan and Darfur. So, this is likely an ethnic element to the killings. But this really adds to the high death toll that we have seen since the fighting started two years ago, with civilians caught in the middle.”

The High Commissioner’s comments follow the review of what he called “multiple horrific videos” available on social media since 26 March, apparently filmed in southern and eastern Khartoum and showing armed men executing civilians.

In some of the video footage, perpetrators say that they are punishing supporters of opposition Rapid Support Forces.

Nicaragua rights probe names 54 officials over alleged violations 

Top independent experts reporting to the Human Rights Council on Thursday named dozens of Nicaraguan officials who they say are responsible for grave violations, abuses and crimes.

The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua was created by the Council following the deadly suppression of protests in 2018 against President Daniel Ortega, who is serving his fourth term, currently with his co-president and wife Rosario Murillo.

The experts – who are not UN staff – have previously alleged that the Central American country has become an authoritarian State by means of a “tightly coordinated system of repression”, from the President down to local officials.

On 27 February, one day before the group presented its latest report, Nicaragua announced its withdrawal from the Human Rights Council in Geneva.  

The independent experts maintain that 54 government, military and party officials played key roles in rights violations including arbitrary detention, torture, extrajudicial executions and persecution of civil society and the media.  

Cyprus: after talks in Geneva, parties agree on landmine clearance plan

Two weeks since Cyprus talks in Geneva, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot premier Ersin Tatar have pushed ahead with the trust-building measures they committed to.

The two leaders met on Wednesday in the UN-controlled buffer zone separating the conflicting parties and announced progress on agreements to remove landmines that have been laid between the divided communities of the Mediterranean island.

Further topics discussed included the opening of additional crossing points, the establishment of a committee on youth issues and environmental challenges – in particular, installing solar panels in the buffer zone.

The political future of the island remains unclear with Greek Cypriots reportedly favouring a federal constitution and Turkish Cypriots preferring a two-State solution.

Daniel Johnson, UN News

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