The United Nations Security Council condemned on Thursday the "assault" by Sudanese paramilitaries on the western city of el-Fasher that has sparked warnings of possible mass killings and ethnic cleansing.
"The members of the Security Council condemned the assault by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on el-Fasher and its devastating impact on the civilian population," the council said in a statement.
They also “condemned reported atrocities being perpetrated by the RSF against the civilian population, including summary executions and arbitrary detentions, and expressed grave concern at the heightened risk of large-scale atrocities, including ethnically motivated atrocities.”
Council members urged all perpetrators of violations to be held accountable.
They “demanded that all parties to the conflict protect civilians and abide by their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and fulfil resolution 2736 (2024), as well as abide by their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration.”
During the takeover of el-Fasher, paramilitary gunmen reportedly killed more than 400 people in a hospital.
Speaking at the meeting, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher criticized the Security Council for not acting sooner in Sudan. The country has been torn for the past two years in a war between the military and the RSF that has killed more than 40,000 people and left more than 14 million displaced.
The members of the Council reiterated on Thursday that the priority is for the parties to resume talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process.
