Global Scrutiny Rises as Sudanese Army Evades Responsibility Through Misinformation,

In response to international calls to hold its leadership accountable for systematic violations in the country, the Sudanese army is employing a dual strategy to mislead the media by spreading false narratives, ultimately aiming to prolong the conflict.

Experts on Sudanese affairs confirm that the army is systematically working to divert attention from the widespread human rights violations and humanitarian atrocities occurring across the country. This is achieved by promoting misleading narratives that aim to shift the focus of the media and international organizations.
The army, the main party in the conflict, according to experts, is using international platforms to promote issues that do not reflect the reality on the ground, attempting to ease international pressure and cover up a war that has led to what they described as an “unprecedented humanitarian disaster.”

UN reports, based on testimonies, documents, and video footage, have documented the Sudanese army’s violations against civilians and the use of internationally banned weapons in its battles against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), qualifying them as “war crimes.” These include the use of chemical weapons on remote civilian areas, as well as the “deliberate destruction” of hospitals and schools.

These crimes have led to international condemnation, with the latest coming from Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who expressed profound shock over reliable reports indicating extrajudicial executions of civilians in several areas of Khartoum after the army took control in March.

Turk stated, “I am deeply shocked by credible reports of numerous summary executions of civilians in several areas of Khartoum, allegedly for cooperating with the RSF.”

Independent Sudanese organizations and activists have also documented violations attributed to the army. The Emergency Lawyers Group revealed in late March 2025 that field executions by Sudanese army forces against civilians in Khartoum and Jebel Awlia had taken place, allegedly because they cooperated with the RSF. The group showed horrific videos of individuals in military uniforms and civilians executing civilians in cold blood after blindfolding them. Some perpetrators in the videos justified their actions by claiming they were “punishing RSF supporters.”

Among the most serious documented violations, videos and field testimonies have revealed the use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese army in battles that took place in densely populated areas. The General Coordination of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur (a civil body) issued a statement at the end of March, expressing strong suspicion that the Sudanese army’s air force used chemical weapons in raids on several areas in the Darfur region.

The New York Times quoted anonymous U.S. officials, confirming that the Sudanese army had used chemical weapons on at least two occasions against the RSF in several areas, which prompted the European Union to expand its arms embargo to include all of Sudan, instead of just Darfur. However, these calls have not been translated into actual measures.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, “The Sudanese army has turned civilians into targets… the documents we have will form the basis for historical trials.”

More than 30 million Sudanese face the threat of famine, relying on aid that the army prevents from reaching them as a “weapon of war,” a clear international accusation that was followed by the imposition of sanctions by the U.S. on Sudanese army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in January. He was accused of playing a role in destabilizing Sudan and obstructing the democratic transition of power.

The U.S. Treasury Department considered that the Sudanese armed forces, under Burhan’s leadership, launched deadly attacks on civilians, including airstrikes targeting protected infrastructure such as schools, markets, and hospitals. They also noted that the army is responsible for the “deliberate and systematic deprivation of humanitarian aid, using starvation as a weapon of war.”

Despite being a main party in the conflict, the Sudanese army insists on promoting a narrative that the crisis is the result of “foreign conspiracies,” even though it is a central party in the conflict, attempting to divert attention from UN reports accusing it of “committing 80% of the violations” in conflict areas.

Experts believe the army’s call for a case to be brought before the International Court of Justice is a maneuver to absorb rising international anger, especially after documents were revealed about “secret deals” with regional parties, notably Iran, Russia, and China, to secure weapons in exchange for promises of military bases and ports in Sudan after the war.

The “Iran International” website revealed intelligence information that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard sent a shipment of weapons to Sudan on March 17 via a cargo plane from the sanctioned “Fars Air Qeshm” company.
Experts also believe that Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is attempting to accuse external parties of fueling the war by supporting the RSF, while his forces continue to commit “war crimes.”

Doctors Without Borders has provided field testimonies and warnings about the escalating humanitarian catastrophe, with Christopher Lockyer, the organization’s Secretary General, describing the war in Sudan as a “war on humans,” emphasizing that Sudanese armed forces have been repeatedly and indiscriminately bombing populated areas.

While the humanitarian crisis caused by the army was reaching its peak, the UAE, as the largest Gulf supporter of Sudan, provided massive aid packages that included hospital and agricultural project support. However, reports confirm that the army “hampered the distribution” of this aid in opposition-held areas.

The value of Emirati humanitarian assistance to Sudan has reached over $3.5 billion, including $600 million since the beginning of the current conflict. The UN has accused the Sudanese army of preventing humanitarian aid from reaching conflict areas, leading to a worsening famine that threatens 30 million Sudanese.

In contrast, Human Rights Watch warned that continued blocking of aid could turn Sudan into “the worst hunger crisis in the world,” with 12 million people displaced.