Sudan: UN chief calls for immediate ceasefire in besieged El Fasher
New York, US (PANA) - Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped in El Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur state, and the siege on the city is tightening, UN chief António Guterres warned Friday.
The Secretary-General is "appalled" by the continued attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries against El Fasher, his spokesperson said in a press statement.
The civil war that began in April 2023 in Sudan pits the RSF against the Sudanese armed forces and has since ravaged the country, particularly the Darfur region.
On Thursday, a senior UN humanitarian official, returning from a visit to Sudan, painted an apocalyptic picture of the situation. Edem Wosornu described a country on its knees, where famine and cholera threaten millions of lives.
In El Fasher, the siege has been gradually tightening for more than 500 days. In recent weeks, the area has been under near-continuous bombardment, and there have been repeated deadly incursions into the Abu Shouk displacement camp, where famine-like conditions were observed in December 2024, said the spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric.
Since 11 August, the United Nations has recorded at least 125 civilians killed in the El Fasher region, including summary executions, although the actual death toll is likely higher.
"The Secretary-General is alarmed by the significant risks of serious violations of international humanitarian law as well as violations and abuses of international human rights law, including ethnically motivated," his spokesperson said.
He said supplies are pre-positioned nearby, but efforts by the United Nations and its partners to deliver them to El Fasher continue to be hampered. In recent months, humanitarian personnel and goods have been repeatedly attacked in North Darfur.
“The Secretary-General calls for an immediate ceasefire in and around the El Fasher region. He stresses the need to take immediate steps to protect civilians and allow the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance to the region, as well as to allow any civilians who wish to voluntarily leave the area to do so safely,” said Mr. Dujarric.
For his part, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, is continuing dialogue with the warring parties and stands ready to support "sincere efforts" aimed at ending the violence and establishing an inclusive political process.
-0- PANA MA 29Aug2025
