UN rights council extends Sudan fact-finding mission mandate by a year
October 5, 2026 (GENEVA) – The United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday voted to extend the mandate of its independent international fact-finding mission on Sudan for an additional year, urging warring parties and regional states to cooperate fully with investigators.
The 47-member Geneva-based council adopted the resolution with 28 countries voting in favor, 10 opposed, and nine abstaining.
Sudanese government authorities have consistently refused to engage with the mission, arguing that existing UN human rights mechanisms are sufficient, and have repeatedly denied entry visas to its investigators.
Under the extended mandate, the independent panel will present an oral update and a comprehensive report on human rights violations and accountability measures to both the Council and the UN General Assembly.
The resolution calls on the warring factions—the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces—as well as UN member states to provide documentation, evidence, and unimpeded access to support the probe.
It also requests the UN Secretary-General to allocate the necessary administrative, technical, and logistic resources to sustain the mission’s operations.
Established in October 2023, the mission is tasked with gathering and preserving evidence of war crimes and identifying individuals and command structures responsible for atrocities to ensure accountability.
The Council reiterated grave concern over external interference and illicit financial networks fueling the war through arms shipments, drone transfers, and the deployment of foreign mercenaries.
Investigators previously found reasonable grounds to believe a cross-border illicit network operating across multiple nations supplied the RSF with advanced weapons, logistical assistance, and specialist drone contractors.
Sudanese officials have repeatedly accused the United Arab Emirates of funneling advanced military supplies to the RSF, allegations Abu Dhabi denies despite mounting international scrutiny and independent reporting.
Reiterating that there is no military solution to the devastating war, the Council demanded an immediate, unconditional ceasefire alongside an independent monitoring mechanism to enable a negotiated political settlement.