A group of Sudanese civilians affected by airstrikes carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces is preparing to submit complaints against army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to international bodies, including the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court, according to a Sudanese media report.
One of the victims, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the group was also seeking action through the United States.
The victim said the move was encouraged by the UN Security Council’s recent decision to extend the arms embargo and sanctions regime related to Sudan’s Darfur region.
He said his wife and four of his children were killed in an airstrike on their town in Darfur, describing the planned legal action as an attempt to seek accountability for civilian deaths caused by aerial bombardment.
The reported initiative comes after the Security Council extended existing sanctions measures on Darfur, including restrictions on the supply of weapons to the region.
The United States has previously pushed for broader restrictions on arms flows into Sudan, including proposals to extend measures beyond Darfur as part of efforts to curb weapons supplies and limit the widening conflict.
Such proposals have faced opposition and reservations from several international actors, including Russia and China, while Sudanese authorities have argued that expanding an arms embargo across the country would undermine state sovereignty and its claimed right to self-defence.
The legal push also comes amid broader efforts to hold individuals and institutions accountable for their alleged roles in atrocities committed during Sudan’s conflicts.
In a separate case in the United States, a federal jury in Manhattan found French bank BNP Paribas liable for assisting the government of former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.
The court awarded $20.75 million in damages to three Sudanese plaintiffs who said they had suffered atrocities linked to the conflict in Darfur.
Supporters of similar legal actions say such cases could provide additional avenues for Sudanese victims seeking accountability from individuals, institutions and other actors accused of facilitating violence in the country.
