Credible reports from the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR), Amnesty International, and international media describe appalling violations, including mass killings, sexual violence, and torture of civilians following the RSF’s entry. Hospitals and humanitarian facilities have been attacked, communities uprooted, and thousands displaced without access to food, water, or medical care. These acts constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law.

The tragedy in Sudan has far-reaching implications for Africa’s peace and development. The collapse of governance and destruction of infrastructure are crippling economic activity and cross-border trade. Workers are among the worst affected— aside from losing their lives, family members, and destruction of properties, they are also losing livelihoods, incomes, and social protection. Public servants have gone unpaid for months, informal traders face ruined markets, and industrial areas lie idle under military control. The erosion of labour institutions and suppression of trade-union freedoms have silenced a vital voice for democracy and reconstruction, undermining the continent’s pursuit of inclusive growth and social justice.

ITUC-Africa strongly condemns the violence against civilians and the systematic targeting of communities. All parties must immediately cease hostilities, respect humanitarian law, and guarantee the protection of civilians. Unhindered humanitarian access must be ensured, and perpetrators of atrocities held accountable through credible, independent investigations to end impunity.
Once again, we want to call out and condemn the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its active and wicked facilitation and supply of weapons to the RSF. The international community must end its silence and tacit enabling of the UAE to further its atrocities in the Sudan civil war and to facilitate an immediate ceasefire. Parties to the conflict must be encouraged to embrace genuine dialogue.

ITUC-Africa stresses the urgent need for a coordinated regional and continental response. The African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), must act decisively to mediate an inclusive, Sudanese-led dialogue. Their leadership is essential in restoring peace, enabling and improving humanitarian access, and setting the foundation for reconstruction. Trade unions, women’s movements, youth organisations, and other civil society actors must be fully included to ensure that any transition is people-centred and grounded in justice, equity, and sustainable development.

ITUC-Africa stands in unwavering solidarity with Sudanese workers, trade unions, and all victims of this senseless violence. There is no military solution to Sudan’s crisis. Only genuine dialogue, accountability, and social justice can deliver lasting peace. The people of Sudan deserve to live, work, and organise in freedom and dignity. Africa must not stand by—the time for concerted action is now.

Akhator Joel Odigie
General Secretary, ITUC-Africa
Lomé, Togo