The Sudanese Alliance for Rights (SAR) has officially filed a legal case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) targeting four leaders of the Port Sudan authorities. The accused include Chairman of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, along with Yasser al-Atta, Shams al-Din al-Kabashi, and Major General Taher Mohammed. The lawsuit alleges the use of chemical weapons and serious violations against civilians amid Sudan’s protracted conflict.

SAR has called for a comprehensive investigation into the allegations and the prosecution of those responsible, emphasizing that impunity for such crimes will not be tolerated under international law. Alongside the ICC filing, the alliance lodged a formal complaint with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and submitted a direct appeal to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), urging an immediate investigation.

The alliance stressed that international and regional inaction only serves to embolden perpetrators, placing Sudanese civilians at increased risk. The legal action follows repeated failures by regional bodies, including the African Union and IGAD, to mediate a peaceful resolution.

Compounding the crisis, the Sudanese army has consistently refused to negotiate or honor prior peace agreements, creating a political deadlock that has allowed extremist militias aligned with Sudanese authorities to expand their influence, heightening threats to border security and regional stability.

Human rights experts have praised the lawsuit as a strategic initiative by Sudanese civil society. They assert that it sends a clear warning that human rights violations will not go unpunished, regardless of the duration of the conflict or the power of the perpetrators involved.