UN chief ‘gravely alarmed’ by reports of RSF assault on Sudan’s el-Fasher

Antonio Guterres has called connected the RSF commandant to ‘act responsibly and instantly bid a halt’ to its attacks.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “gravely alarmed” by reports of a full-scale battle connected North Darfur’s metropolis of el-Fasher successful Sudan, says a UN spokesperson.

Guterres connected Saturday called connected the person of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to instantly halt the attack, informing that any further escalation threatens to dispersed the struggle on intercommunal lines passim the country’s Darfur region, the spokesperson said successful a statement.

“He calls connected Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo to enactment responsibly and instantly bid a halt to the RSF attack,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said successful a connection connected Saturday, referring to the RSF commander.

“It is unconscionable that the warring parties person repeatedly ignored calls for a cessation of hostilities.”

Sudan plunged into struggle successful April 2023, erstwhile long-simmering tensions betwixt its subject and paramilitary leaders broke retired successful the superior Khartoum and dispersed to different regions, including Darfur.

The UN has said that much than 14,000 radical person been killed and 33,000 injured arsenic the warfare triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis. UN officials person warned the worsening unit astir el-Fasher threatens to unleash much intercommunal strife.

Darfur has seen immoderate of the war’s worst atrocities, and the RSF has besieged el-Fasher since May – but fighting has escalated successful the past week.

United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said connected Saturday that the struggle volition beryllium connected the docket erstwhile US President Joe Biden meets United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan connected Monday.

Sudan and the UAE person clashed astatine the UN Security Council (UNSC) implicit accusations by the army-aligned Sudanese authorities that the UAE is arming and supporting the RSF.

“Hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped successful el-Fasher are present astatine hazard of the consequences of wide violence,” Martha Pobee, the UN’s adjunct secretary-general for Africa, told the UNSC connected Wednesday.

“As warring engulfs the city, it has further exposed an highly vulnerable population, including internally displaced persons surviving successful ample camps adjacent el-Fasher. This unit has besides affected healthcare facilities.”

In June, the UNSC adopted a solution calling for “an contiguous halt to the warring and for de-escalation successful and astir el-Fasher”.

In January, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, said determination are grounds to judge some the warring sides whitethorn beryllium committing warfare crimes, crimes against humanity, oregon genocide successful Darfur.

Earlier this month, the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan called for an “independent and impartial force” successful Sudan and the widening of an arms embargo to support civilians successful the escalating conflict.

A 19-page study by the ngo based connected 182 interviews with survivors, their household members and witnesses conducted betwixt January and August 2024 said some the Sudanese service and the RSF were liable for attacks connected civilians “through rape and different forms of intersexual violence, arbitrary apprehension and detention, arsenic good arsenic torture and ill-treatment”.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies