Sudan has officially requested the support of the China-led Like-Minded Group of nations at the United Nations to block a draft resolution that would renew the mandate of the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, according to the state news agency SUNA.
The move represents a significant diplomatic push by Khartoum to prevent what it terms an “imposition” of a fourth UN human rights mechanism on the country, amid growing international scrutiny of the ongoing conflict.
Sudan’s Permanent Envoy to the UN in Geneva, Hassan Hamid Hassan, has articulated Khartoum’s position, arguing that the government is already fully cooperating with three existing UN human rights bodies:
- The country office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights;
- A designated human rights expert;
- A panel of experts under UN Security Council Resolution 1591, which monitors sanctions and related issues .
Ambassador Hassan accused London and its Western allies of persisting in their efforts to “submit a draft resolution each year to impose a fourth mechanism,” despite Sudan’s claims of full cooperation with the existing framework.
A key point of contention for Sudan is the draft resolution’s treatment of the warring parties. The diplomat argued that the text unfairly equates the Sudanese army with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which he described as “a rebel group with a criminal record.”
This objection underscores the deep-seated divisions in the conflict, with the Sudanese government seeking to maintain its legitimacy as the state authority while delegitimizing the RSF as a rebel faction. Sudan has previously pushed back against the Human Rights Council’s mechanisms, with China also noting that the Fact-Finding Mission was “established without the consent of the Sudanese Government from the very beginning” .
In further criticism, Ambassador Hassan accused the resolution’s sponsors of disregarding established UN protocols and mobilizing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to promote what he described as “rebels’ narratives” against the Sudanese army. This reflects a broader Sudanese government narrative that external actors are fueling the conflict and undermining its sovereignty.
The Like-Minded Group, led by China, is a bloc of 29 nations that often coordinates positions on human rights issues at the UN. Sudan’s request to this group is a strategic move to garner support from states that share its scepticism of what it perceives as Western-led interventions.
This diplomatic appeal aligns with recent statements from Chinese representatives at the UN, who have emphasized the importance of respecting Sudan’s sovereignty and have opposed expanding the mandate of the fact-finding mission in disregard of Sudan’s opposition .
The diplomatic manoeuvring comes as 68 civil society organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, have called on the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for two years, urging it to investigate grave violations and support accountability .
The UK Mission in Geneva has also framed the renewal as a vote for accountability and peace for the Sudanese people, highlighting the starkly opposing views on how best to address the country’s ongoing crisis .
