UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns Sudan crisis is spiralling out of control after RSF paramilitaries seized strategic city of El-Fasher.
DOHA: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has demanded an immediate halt to fighting in Sudan, warning the crisis is rapidly deteriorating after paramilitaries overran a key city.
Guterres urged warring parties to “come to the negotiating table, bring an end to this nightmare of violence — now”.
“The horrifying crisis in Sudan… is spiralling out of control,” he told reporters at the World Summit for Social Development in Doha.
Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces seized control of strategic El-Fasher city in late October following an 18-month siege.
Reports have emerged of executions, sexual violence, looting, attacks on aid workers and abductions in and around El-Fasher.
Communications remain largely cut off in the region where hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped.
“El-Fasher and the surrounding areas in North Darfur have been an epicentre of suffering, hunger, violence and displacement,” Guterres said.
“And since the Rapid Support Forces entered El-Fasher last weekend, the situation is growing worse by the day,” he added.
“People are dying of malnutrition, disease and violence.”
Guterres also cited “continued reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights”.
The UN chief separately warned against ceasefire violations in Gaza that halted two years of war.
Hamas reported fresh Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday after Israel said three bodies received did not belong to hostages.
Israeli attacks killed more than 100 people last Tuesday according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Strikes on October 19 killed 45 people, the Hamas-run agency said.
Guterres expressed deep concern about “continued violations of the ceasefire in Gaza”.
“They must stop and all parties must abide by the decisions of the first phase of the peace agreement.” – AFP
