Urgent Appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Council and Relevant International Mechanisms Regarding Alleged Drone Strike on Civilians in Gurrat Al-Zawiya, North Darfur State

Shahid Evidence Platform for Digital Evidence and Human Rights Documentation expresses its profound concern regarding preliminary information received from multiple local sources alleging that a drone strike targeted a gathering of civilians inside the courthouse in Gurrat Al-Zawiya, North Darfur State.
According to the preliminary information received by the Platform, local sources reported that the drone, which those sources attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), struck the courthouse while a number of civilians were present inside. According to these initial reports, the attack resulted in the deaths of more than 37 civilians, including women and children, and injured dozens of others, among them the head of the court. As of the time of issuing this statement, the Platform has not independently verified the final number of casualties or all the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Local sources further indicated that the humanitarian situation at the scene was extremely critical, with emergency responders facing significant challenges in evacuating the wounded, recovering victims, and providing urgent medical assistance due to severe shortages of medical resources and transportation.
The Shahid Evidence Platform confirms that it has initiated procedures to collect, preserve, and analyze all available digital evidence related to this incident in accordance with internationally recognized standards. These procedures include the examination of photographs and videos, metadata analysis, geolocation and temporal verification, source credibility assessment, witness testimony documentation, and strict adherence to the Chain of Custody to ensure the integrity and admissibility of evidence in future legal proceedings or international investigations.
The Platform calls upon the United Nations Human Rights Council to give this incident urgent consideration and to ensure that it is incorporated into relevant international monitoring and accountability processes.
The Platform further urges the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan to examine the available information and evidence concerning this incident, include it within the scope of its ongoing investigations, and establish the facts in accordance with international standards.
The Platform also calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to closely monitor these allegations and to encourage full cooperation by all parties with independent investigative mechanisms while ensuring unrestricted access to the affected area.
Furthermore, the Platform appeals to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, and other relevant United Nations Special Procedures, acting within their respective mandates, to examine the reported allegations and assess their implications for the protection of civilians during armed conflict.
The Shahid Evidence Platform calls for an urgent, independent, impartial, and transparent international investigation, including:
• Unrestricted access to the site of the incident.
• A comprehensive forensic examination of the scene.
• Collection and technical analysis of munition remnants and other physical evidence, where available.
• An independent technical investigation to determine the type of drone employed, the nature of the munition or weapons system used, the manner in which the strike was carried out, and whether the operation complied with the requirements of International Humanitarian Law.
• Interviews with survivors, witnesses, medical personnel, and humanitarian responders.
• A determination of the facts and, where supported by evidence, accountability for any violations that may have occurred.
The Platform reiterates that the protection of civilians is a fundamental obligation under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, binding on all parties to the conflict without exception. Allegations of attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects require prompt, independent, and impartial investigations capable of establishing the truth, ensuring accountability, combating impunity, and providing justice for victims.
The Platform further calls upon witnesses, survivors, humanitarian workers, and all individuals in possession of photographs, videos, or other relevant information to preserve the original files without alteration, compression, or modification, and to cooperate with the Platform in accordance with internationally recognized standards for digital evidence preservation and documentation.
The Shahid Evidence Platform will continue to monitor this incident closely, conduct further technical and legal verification of all available evidence, and publish additional findings as new verified information becomes available.
Issued by:
Shahid Evidence Platform
for Digital Evidence and Human Rights Documentation
For the Truth… and for Justice.