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

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) — 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.

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.