UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is extremely disturbed by reports of intense fighting in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan, which poses a significant threat to over 800,000 civilians, says UN spokesperson.
Urging Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo to take immediate action and halt the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) assault on El Fasher in Sudan. Guterres is calling on Dagalo to act responsibly and bring an end to the violence, which has already caused significant harm and displacement.
“It is unconscionable that the warring parties have repeatedly ignored calls for a cessation of hostilities,” he said. “Any further escalation will also threaten to spread the conflict along intercommunal lines throughout Darfur.”
Sudan has been grappling with a devastating conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, resulting in catastrophic consequences. The ongoing war has forcibly displaced over 12 million people, with more than 10 million still within Sudan.
The situation is getting dire, with reports of mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and widespread famine. The conflict has disrupted the harvest season, blocked humanitarian aid, and looted essential supplies, pushing millions to the brink of starvation.
“The Secretary-General recalls that his Special Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, continues his efforts to advance peace,” Mr. Dujarric said. “He stands ready to support genuine efforts to halt this violence and move toward peace.”
He said humanitarian organizations also stand ready to rapidly scale up assistance in El Fasher and other areas of need across Sudan.
Furthermore, he urgently called on the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to immediately stop the attack in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan. He warns that if the conflict escalates, it could spread across Darfur’s five states, exacerbating tensions along communal lines and putting countless civilians at risk
Sudan’s descent into conflict began in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the nation’s military leaders and paramilitary forces boiled over in the capital city of Khartoum.
The conflict rapidly spread to other regions, including the troubled Darfur area.
The situation in Sudan is dire. The ongoing war has claimed over 14,000 lives and left 33,000 people injured, with the conflict also triggering the world’s largest displacement crisis. UN officials are sounding the alarm that the escalating violence around el-Fasher is on the brink of unleashing even more intercommunal strife, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
“Hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in el-Fasher are now at risk of the consequences of mass violence,” Martha Pobee, the UN’s assistant secretary-general for Africa, told the UNSC on Wednesday.