The Sudanese Coalition for Human Rights has filed a lawsuit before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against top leaders of the Sudanese army, accusing them of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023.
The lawsuit, lodged on September 26, names the head of the Transitional Military Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, along with Yasser al-Atta, Shams al-Din al-Kabbashi, and Major General Taher Mohammed. It was prepared by a team of international lawyers working with the coalition and seeks a comprehensive investigation by the ICC into atrocities allegedly carried out by the Sudanese military.
“This action represents a vital step to ensure accountability,” the coalition said in a statement, urging the court to act swiftly. The group also filed a formal complaint with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and sent a letter to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) demanding an inquiry into the alleged use of chemical weapons. “Continued silence only fosters impunity and places more civilians at risk,” the coalition added.
The lawsuit comes amid mounting international reports linking the Sudanese army to systematic abuses. Human Rights Watch and other organisations have documented indiscriminate bombings, ethnic killings, and sexual violence in Darfur and other regions. In July 2023, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that investigations into crimes in Darfur had been expanded to include violations tied to the current conflict. In January 2024, Khan said there was credible evidence of “ethnic killings and mass rape in West Darfur” committed by the army and allied militias.
General Burhan, who commands the armed forces, has long been the subject of international scrutiny. His leadership has been associated with massacres and the use of prohibited weapons, according to rights monitors. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed personal sanctions on him in January under Executive Order 14098, accusing him of obstructing humanitarian access and destabilising Sudan. “General Burhan has routinely and deliberately denied food and assistance to civilians as a tactic of war,” the Treasury said at the time.
The sanctions froze any U.S.-linked assets belonging to Burhan and barred transactions with him, though humanitarian exemptions were issued. Aid organisations, however, warned that military authorities were continuing to block relief deliveries.
The United Nations has also accused the Sudanese army of serious violations of international humanitarian law. Reports submitted to the Security Council in 2024 and 2025 called for the enforcement of an arms embargo under Resolution 1556, citing indiscriminate airstrikes and “lethal attacks on civilians.”
