Sudan

On 15 April 2023, fighting broke out in Khartoum between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), an autonomous paramilitary force. Both sides have used explosive weapons delivered by tanks, artillery, and rockets, and the SAF has deployed air-delivered munitions.Human Rights Watch, “Sudan: Explosive Weapons Harming Civilians”, 4 May 2023. As at June 2023, however, there were no indications that this included any use of cluster munitions. The functioning of the National Mine Action Centre (NMAC) and the work of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) were, though, interrupted by the hostilities. While UNMAS provided hazardous area release data, very little other information relating to the clearance of cluster munition remnants (CMR) was available for 2022.

• Sudan should accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) as a matter of priority.
• Sudan should submit an annual voluntary Article 7 report to the CCM and should ensure that reporting disaggregates submunitions from other unexploded ordnance (UXO) and that mine action data is recorded and reported according to International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) land release terminology.
• Sudan should comply with its obligations under international human rights law to clear cluster munition remnants (CMR) on territory under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible.
• Sudan should make every effort to address suspected CMR contamination as soon as possible and should elaborate a work plan with how this will be achieved.

Click here to download the full "Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2023" report for Sudan.