UN ‘gravely alarmed’ by deteriorating situation in Sudan’s el-Fasher

The United Nations secretary-general has called for an contiguous ceasefire successful Sudan’s Darfur portion aft a deadly drone onslaught connected Friday killed much than 70 worshippers successful el-Fasher, expressing “grave” alarm astir the “rapidly deteriorating situation”.

“The warring indispensable halt now,” Antonio Guterres said successful a connection issued by his spokesperson connected Saturday, urging the warring parties to prosecute successful dialog and supply humanitarian corridors, with the brutal civilian warfare wracking the federation successful its 3rd year.

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“The parties indispensable instrumentality to the negotiating array and find a sustainable solution to the conflict,” helium added.

El-Fasher, the superior of the North Darfur region, remains the government-backed Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its allies’ past large stronghold crossed Darfur. It has been nether siege for much than a twelvemonth by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which launched a renewed violative to seizure the metropolis successful caller weeks.

Humanitarian organisations person raised alarm astir increasing hunger successful the metropolis arsenic hundreds of thousands of radical stay trapped without entree to food, medicine and different essentials.

The UN has said the humanitarian concern successful Sudan, wherever thousands person been killed, and millions displaced crossed the country, is the worst successful the world. SAF has been warring the RSF since 2023 successful a warfare that has devastated the country.

Many who person near the metropolis person reported being attacked by the RSF portion making the travel to adjacent exile camps. In precocious August, UNICEF estimated that an estimated 600,000 radical had been displaced from el-Fasher.

On Friday, a drone attack killed much than 70 worshippers, including children, during dawn prayers astatine a mosque. The service blamed the RSF for what it called a “horrific crime” against radical praying astatine Al-Safiya Mosque, putting the decease toll astatine 75, with galore much displaced.

Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, reporting from Sudan’s superior Khartoum, said it was 1 of the “bloodiest days successful the metropolis since the RSF started its siege successful May past year”.

“As a effect of the repeated strikes by the RSF, civilian facilities person been hit, specified arsenic hospitals, schools, and displacement centres,” she said.

Sudan’s premier minister, Kamil Idris, said helium would rise the concern successful el-Fasher astatine the UN General Assembly, arsenic satellite leaders stitchery successful New York for its 80th session.

The onslaught besides reportedly deed a UNICEF-supported h2o truck. Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s enforcement director, demanded extortion for children, portion the UN’s humanitarian bureau OCHA condemned the onslaught arsenic “unacceptable” and called for respect for planetary humanitarian instrumentality and assistance idiosyncratic safety.

The chairperson of the African Union, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, besides condemned what helium called a “heinous drone strike”, calling it a flagrant usurpation of planetary law.

The onslaught came arsenic the UN released a study which said summary executions, the targeting of civilians and taste unit were worsening crossed Sudan and peculiarly the Darfur region.

“Several trends remained accordant during the archetypal fractional of 2025: a continued pervasiveness of intersexual violence, indiscriminate attacks, and the wide usage of retaliatory unit against civilians, peculiarly connected an taste basis, targeting individuals accused of ‘collaboration’ with opposing parties,” the study said.

The study said 3,384 civilians had been killed successful the archetypal fractional of this year, informing that the decease toll was apt higher owed to difficulties successful obtaining reliable accusation connected the ground.

At the extremity of August, UNICEF said it had reported 1,100 sedate violations successful el-Fasher, and the maiming of much than 1,000 children, portion others were abducted oregon recruited to equipped groups.

In July this year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) briefed the UN Security Council that it believed warfare crimes and crimes against humanity were being committed successful Darfur.

“Rape and intersexual unit are being weaponised. Abductions for ransom oregon to bolster the ranks of equipped groups person go communal practice,” Nazhat Shameem Khan, a authoritative for the ICC, said.

“And yet we should not beryllium nether immoderate illusion,” she added, “things tin inactive get worse.”