UN chief 'deeply alarmed' over situation in El Fasher, Sudan

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "gravely alarmed" by reports of a full-scale assault on the city of El Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur State, by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), his spokesman said on Saturday.

Guterres "calls on Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo to act responsibly and immediately order a halt to the RSF attack," Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

"It is unconscionable that the warring parties have repeatedly ignored calls for a cessation of hostilities. Any further escalation will also threaten to spread the conflict along intercommunal lines throughout Darfur," he added.

Underscoring that a cease-fire is "not only necessary, but is an urgent imperative" both in El Fasher and across all other conflict zones in Sudan, the spokesman said the humanitarian situation in this area is "already catastrophic" with hundreds of thousands of people in acute need.

Parties have 'clear obligations' to protect civilians

Stressing that the parties to the conflict have "clear" obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, he said attacks must not be directed against them or civilian infrastructure and constant care must be taken to spare them.

Guterres "recalls that his Special Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, continues his efforts to advance peace," Dujarric said, adding the UN chief stands ready to support "genuine efforts" to halt the violence and move toward peace.

"Humanitarian organizations also stand ready to rapidly scale up assistance in El Fasher and other areas of need across Sudan," he added.

Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is the head of the ruling Sovereign Council, and the RSF led by his former deputy Dagalo.

At least 12,260 people have been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the conflict that started in April 2023, according to UN figures.

A humanitarian crisis continues to worsen as nearly 6.8 million people have fled their homes seeking safety in Sudan or neighboring countries.

Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi Arabia and US mediators have failed to end the violence.