Analytical Statement | April 2, 2026
Sudan Rights Watch Network commends the historic achievement at the United Nations General Assembly on March 25, 2026, with the adoption of draft resolution A/80/L.48, submitted by the Republic of Ghana, by an overwhelming majority of 123 countries voting in favor, with only three countries voting against (the United States, Israel, and Argentina), and 52 abstaining.
The Council notes with great pride that the Arab states participating in the draft resolution included: Tunisia, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, Morocco, and Mauritania, reflecting a unified Arab and African stance against the legacy of historical injustices.
- Content and Legal Significance of the Resolution
This resolution represents a qualitative shift in the international community’s approach to historical crimes, unequivocally condemning the enslavement of Africans and the transatlantic slave trade as “the most inhumane and enduring form of injustice.”
In the resolution, the General Assembly reaffirms its collective recognition of the profound and lasting effects of the abhorrent systems of slavery and colonialism, and the continued racial discrimination and neocolonialism perpetrated against Africans and people of African descent.
The UN document emphasizes the importance of addressing the historical injustices suffered by Africans and people of African descent in a manner that upholds justice, human rights, dignity, and recovery, affirming that demands for reparations are a concrete step towards rectifying historical injustices.
- Call for Comprehensive Dialogue on Restorative Justice
In its resolution, the General Assembly calls upon Member States to engage in a comprehensive and good-faith dialogue on restorative justice, including: issuing a full and formal apology; taking measures for reparation, compensation, rehabilitation, and satisfaction; and providing guarantees of non-recurrence.
- Divergent Positions and Reservations
Some States that did not support the draft resolution expressed reservations about what they described as an attempt to “measure historical violations and injustices,” which, they claimed, might suggest minimizing the suffering of some people and giving undue importance to some at the expense of others. They also criticized the “lack of sufficient time” for consultations on the draft resolution to reach a consensus.
In light of these divergent positions, Sudan Rights Watch Network considers these reservations to be merely an attempt to evade historical responsibility. It affirms that acknowledging crimes does not lessen anyone’s suffering but rather establishes the principle of universal accountability.
- UN Statement – A Betrayal of Dignity
At the outset of the International Day commemoration, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described these practices as a “profound betrayal of human dignity.” Millions of Africans were abducted, stolen from their families and communities, and trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean under horrific conditions. He noted that one in seven did not survive the journey.
He added that these atrocities were “at the heart of the global economic and social order, a system born of greed, built on lies, and enforced by violence.” He emphasized that this system, which has persisted for over 400 years, continues to affect the world today. Guterres called for confronting the false narrative of racial difference and the ugly lies of white supremacy, and for working towards truth, justice, and reparations.
For her part, Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, affirmed that slavery and the slave trade are among the most serious human rights violations in history and a flagrant violation of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She stressed that addressing these injustices is a moral imperative that requires storytelling, demands action, and necessitates honest self-reflection and accountability.
- The Position of Sudan Rights Watch Network
Sudan Rights Watch Network, recalling the suffering of the Sudanese people under the yoke of colonialism and historical slavery, sees this resolution as:
- A victory for historical memory:
The erasure of historical illiteracy and attempts to obscure colonial crimes were part of a project of domination. This resolution restores dignity to millions of victims whose humanity was stripped from them for centuries.
- A well-established legal precedent:
The resolution represents a shift in the concept of “most heinous crimes” to include the crimes of the slavery and colonial system, thus opening the door to claims for reparations and the return of looted cultural property. These are issues that directly affect Sudan, whose wealth and cultural heritage have been plundered for decades.
- In support of transitional justice efforts:
We in Sudan, living through one of the most horrific humanitarian disasters today, believe that lasting peace cannot be achieved without historical redress. The resolution upholds the principle that justice does not expire with time, a principle that must apply to the war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed against the Sudanese people right now.
Sudan Rights Watch Network:
- Highly commends the ethical stance of African, Caribbean, and Global South countries, particularly the Arab states that co-sponsored the resolution, foremost among them Sudan.
- Condemns the position of the three countries that voted against the resolution (the United States, Israel, and Argentina), considering this stance a continuation of policies that evade historical responsibility and a refusal to confront the structural effects of racism and colonial plunder. The statement indicates that the reservations expressed by some countries regarding the “arrangement of grievances” reflect a moral dilemma. Historical truth is not negotiable, and justice cannot be selective.
Conclusion:
Sudan Rights Watch Network affirms that this achievement demonstrates that the shared political will of countries that suffered the ravages of colonialism is capable of reshaping the international human rights discourse. We at the Sudanese Human Rights Network emphasize that the road to justice remains long, but this international step represents a light at the end of the tunnel, and we hope it will be a genuine beginning for dismantling the economic and social structures inherited by humanity from that dark era.
The Network calls upon the international community to translate this resolution into concrete implementation mechanisms, foremost among them supporting the transitional justice process in Sudan, following the example of the breakthroughs achieved by our brothers and sisters in Ghana and the Caribbean region in the area of restorative justice.
April 2, 2026
Sudan Rights Watch Network