30/08/2026
Statement on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances - 30 August
Issued by: The African Organization for Rights & Development
Kampala - 30 August 2026
The African Organization for Rights & Development commemorates the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 2010 under resolution 65/209, and observed annually on 30 August.
Enforced disappearance is no longer a phenomenon confined to a specific region; it has become a disturbing global problem. As the United Nations has affirmed, once essentially the product of military dictatorships, enforced disappearances may today be perpetrated in complex situations of internal conflict, and may in particular be used as a means of exerting political pressure on opponents.
In Sudan, we are witnessing a dangerous escalation of enforced disappearances since the outbreak of war on 15 April 2023, where civilians, including women, children, activists, and journalists, are subjected to arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance by various parties to the conflict, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
We at the African Organization for Rights & Development affirm the following:
1. The urgent need for immediate disclosure of the fate of all forcibly disappeared persons in Sudan and their release.
2. A call upon the international community and UN mechanisms to shoulder their responsibilities in pressuring the parties to the conflict to stop this practice.
3. A demand for independent and transparent investigations and for holding those responsible for the crimes of enforced disappearance accountable.
4. Full solidarity with the families of the victims who endure daily suffering from not knowing the fate of their loved ones.
Enforced disappearance is a crime against humanity that is not subject to a statute of limitations, and peace and justice in Sudan will not be achieved without revealing the truth and delivering justice for the victims and their families.
Glory and eternity to the victims, and freedom for the disappeared.
African Organization for Rights & Development (AFORD)
Department of Media and Communication
30 August 2026
www.aford.org