Sudan – United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday that the organization is increasingly concerned regarding escalating tension in the city of El Fasher, the capital of the Sudanese state of North Darfur, amid reports that the Rapid Support Forces are encircling the city, indicating a possible imminent attack.
The spokesman added that the organization had received “very disturbing” reports regarding a sharp escalation in tension between the armed parties in El Fasher, and confirmed that Ramtane Lamamra, the UN Secretary-General’s envoy, was communicating with all parties to calm tension in the region.
Since the outbreak of war between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) in April 2023, violence has renewed in the Darfur region.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement that “United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, is deeply concerned by the escalation of violence in and around the city of El Fasher, where dozens of people have been killed over the past two weeks.”
The statement added that at least 43 people, including women and children, were killed in battles between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, with the support of militias supporting each side, since April 14, when the Rapid Support Forces began their advance towards El Fasher.
The statement continued, “Civilians are stuck in the only city in Darfur that is still controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces, and they fear that they will be killed if they try to escape.”
He pointed out, “This catastrophic situation is exacerbated by a serious shortage of basic materials because the delivery of commercial goods and humanitarian assistance has become very limited due to the battles, and delivery trucks are no longer able to freely cross the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.”
The statement stressed that the High Commissioner calls “to immediately contain the escalation in light of this catastrophic situation and end the conflict that has been destroying the country for more than a year.”
Türk also called for “investigating all possible violations and abuses of international human rights law and international humanitarian law with the aim of ensuring the victims’ right to truth, justice and reparations.”
The US State Department had warned two days ago of a possible “imminent” attack on El Fasher, and State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, “The United States calls on all armed forces in Sudan to immediately stop attacks on El Fasher.”
El Fasher is a center for humanitarian aid in Darfur, where a quarter of Sudan’s 48 million people live. The city contains a large number of refugees and has so far remained relatively free from battles. But the surrounding villages have witnessed confrontations and bombing since mid-April.
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2024-04-29 06:25:21
