Stop slaughter of workers, innocent civilians in Sudan, ITUC-Africa tells AU, IGAD

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC-Africa, has condemned in strong terms the ongoing atrocities and mass killings in Sudan, calling on the African Union, AU, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, IGAD, to urgently intervene to stop the bloodshed and protect workers and innocent civilians.

In a statement issued by its General Secretary, Comrade Akhator Joel Odigie, ITUC-Africa expressed deep outrage over the brutal assault and capture of El-Fasher (Al-Fashir), the capital of North Darfur, by the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, between October 26 and 28, 2025.

The organisation described the city’s fall, after an 18-month siege, as “a devastating turning point for Sudan’s unity, stability, and recovery.”

According to the statement, credible reports from the United Nations Human Rights Office, OHCHR, Amnesty International, and other international agencies indicate that the RSF’s entry into the city unleashed horrific violations, including mass killings, sexual violence, and torture of civilians. Hospitals and humanitarian facilities have been attacked, communities uprooted, and thousands displaced without food, water, or medical care — clear breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law.

ITUC-Africa lamented that the collapse of governance and the destruction of infrastructure were crippling economic activity and cross-border trade.

warning that workers are among the worst affected. “Beyond losing their lives, family members, and properties, Sudanese workers are also losing livelihoods, incomes, and social protection,” the statement said.

Public servants, it noted, have gone unpaid for months, informal traders have seen their markets destroyed, and industrial areas remain under military control. The erosion of labour institutions and suppression of trade union freedoms, ITUC-Africa added, have silenced a vital voice for democracy and reconstruction, undermining Africa’s collective pursuit of inclusive growth and social justice.

The continental labour body demanded an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and unhindered humanitarian access, insisting that those responsible for atrocities must be held accountable through credible and independent investigations to end the cycle of impunity.

In a strongly worded condemnation, ITUC-Africa also accused the United Arab Emirates, UAE, of actively supplying arms and logistical support to the RSF.

“We call out and condemn the UAE for its wicked facilitation of weapons to the RSF. The international community must end its silence and complicity in this war,” Odigie declared, urging the global community to press all parties to embrace genuine dialogue.

ITUC-Africa further stressed the urgent need for a coordinated regional and continental response, calling on the AU, IGAD, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, COMESA, to take decisive action in mediating an inclusive, Sudanese-led peace process.

The organisation said their leadership was critical to restoring peace, improving humanitarian access, and rebuilding the war-torn nation.

It also urged the inclusion of trade unions, women’s groups, youth organisations, and civil society actors in any transition arrangement to ensure that the process remains people-centred and grounded in justice, equity, and sustainable development.

Reaffirming its solidarity with Sudanese workers, trade unions, and victims of the war, ITUC-Africa maintained that there is no military solution to Sudan’s crisis.

It added “Only genuine dialogue, accountability, and social justice can deliver lasting peace. The people of Sudan deserve to live, work, and organise in freedom and dignity. Africa must not stand by — the time for concerted action is now.”

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