Sudan: UN chief alarmed by major attack on El Fasher

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo to act responsibly and immediately order a halt to the RSF attack, Dujarric said in a statement.

“It is incomprehensible that the parties to the conflict have repeatedly ignored calls for a cessation of hostilities,” he said. “Any further escalation also risks spreading the conflict along intercommunal borders throughout Darfur.”

Sudan has been embroiled in a conflict between the RSF and Sudanese forces since April 2023. The war has forced millions of people to flee and parts of the country are plagued by famine and critical shortages of life-saving aid.

“The Secretary-General stresses that a ceasefire is not only necessary but urgent, both in El Fasher and in all other conflict areas in Sudan,” the UN spokesman said.

“The humanitarian situation in this region is already catastrophic. Hundreds of thousands of people are in acute need,” he continued.

Under international humanitarian law, the parties to the conflict have clear obligations to protect the civilian population. Attacks must not be directed against them or civilian infrastructure, and constant care must be taken to spare them, he added.

“The Secretary-General recalls that his Special Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, continues his efforts to promote peace,” said Mr Dujarric. “He stands ready to support serious efforts to end this violence and pave the way for peace.”

He said humanitarian organizations also stood ready to rapidly scale up assistance in El Fasher and other emergency areas in Sudan.