The Sudanese Group for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms has estimated that around 50,000 people have gone missing in Sudan since the outbreak of war in April 2023. Meanwhile, local organizations have documented at least 3,177 confirmed cases, including over 500 women and 300 children, according to UN expert on human rights in Sudan, Radhouane Nouicer.
Nouicer explained that accurate figures remain unavailable due to conflicting information from various sources, noting that enforced disappearances and missing persons have become a persistent phenomenon amid the ongoing armed conflict.
The UN expert described the war as “senseless and unnecessary,” stressing that it has resulted in severe violations against civilians, including killings, rape, forced displacement, and the recruitment of youth by both sides.
He criticized the warring parties for disregarding human rights issues, despite repeated appeals from the United Nations and the Red Cross, saying, “These calls have yielded no tangible results.”
Nouicer pointed out that documenting disappearances faces significant security and technical challenges, including weak communication systems, deteriorating security conditions, and families’ reluctance to report cases. He noted that most recorded cases are concentrated in areas such as Khartoum, Sennar, El Fasher, White Nile, and the Darfur states.
In conclusion, Nouicer emphasized the urgent need to protect civilians, affirming that the Sudanese people are the ones paying the highest price in this “meaningless” war.
