The duty to facilitate humanitarian relief cccess in Sudan

Abstract

The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023 has generated one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies, marked by mass displacement, famine-level hunger, and systematic obstruction of aid. This mini dissertation examines the duty to facilitate humanitarian relief access under international and African regional law, assessing the relevance of the Geneva Conventions, Additional Protocol II, customary IHL (including Rule 55), UN resolutions, and the Rome Statute’s criminalisation of starvation. It further analyses regional instruments such as the Kampala Convention, the OAU Refugee Convention, the African Charter, and the African Union Peace and Security Council practice, alongside the obligations of non-state armed groups. The study also highlights how foreign actors, including the UAE, Egypt, Chad, Russia, and Kenya, exacerbate access constraints. It concludes with recommendations to strengthen enforcement, negotiate humanitarian corridors, support community-led mechanisms, and regulate external intervention to improve humanitarian access in Sudan.