KHARTOUM – Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris said Sudan is ready to cooperate fully with the United Nations and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote human rights, while stressing that such cooperation must respect Sudan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Idris made the remarks on Monday during a meeting in Khartoum with Radhouane Nouicer, the UN-designated independent expert on the human rights situation in Sudan, and his accompanying delegation.
The prime minister said protecting and promoting basic human rights principles is part of Sudanese society’s religious teachings, cultural heritage and social and moral values.
He said Sudan would work with the UN human rights office through what he described as complementarity and joint action, particularly in monitoring, follow-up, verification, technical cooperation and training.
The meeting comes as Sudan faces continued international scrutiny over human rights violations committed during the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in April 2023 and has caused mass displacement, widespread destruction and severe humanitarian suffering.
Idris said the war, which he said was nearing its final stages, had created major challenges for Sudan, particularly because of what he described as grave atrocities and unprecedented crimes committed by the RSF against civilians.
Sudan Now could not independently verify the prime minister’s characterization of the course of the war. The RSF has previously denied many accusations of systematic abuses, while UN bodies and rights groups have reported violations by multiple parties to the conflict.
The meeting also comes ahead of continued discussions in international forums over accountability and monitoring mechanisms for Sudan. Sudanese officials have repeatedly said they are willing to cooperate with UN mechanisms they consider consistent with national sovereignty, while rejecting initiatives they view as politicized or as equating the army with the RSF.
Idris said Sudan would work to restore the country’s social fabric through community peace and security efforts, in cooperation with friends and international partners.
He renewed his confidence in the work of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, whose mandate has been renewed for another term, and in the efforts of the independent expert on Sudan.
The prime minister also directed relevant state institutions to cooperate with Nouicer during his work on the human rights situation in the country.
