UN slams RSF attack on El Fasher, urges ceasefire and aid access

NEW YORK – The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Thursday for their repeated assaults on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in western Sudan, and called for an immediate lifting of the siege on the city.

In a statement issued late Thursday, the Council expressed grave concern over the intensifying violence in North Darfur, particularly in and around El Fasher, as Sudan’s brutal civil war enters its third year. The Council urged both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF to engage in a political dialogue in good faith to establish a permanent ceasefire and avert further humanitarian catastrophe.

The condemnation follows reports of a devastating RSF bombardment on El Fasher, with SAF confirming the deaths of at least 62 civilians, including 15 children, and the injury of 75 others during what it described as indiscriminate shelling across several parts of the city earlier on Thursday.

“The Security Council is deeply alarmed by the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in El Fasher,” the statement said, adding that attacks targeting densely populated urban areas and displacement camps may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.

The council also denounced RSF attacks on Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps for internally displaced people, expressing particular concern over reports of mass civilian casualties. According to recent figures cited by humanitarian agencies, the RSF’s offensive in the region has killed an estimated 400 civilians, including children and 11 humanitarian workers.

“These atrocities demand accountability,” the Security Council emphasized, calling for all those responsible for attacks on civilians to be held to account. It also reiterated the need to protect humanitarian workers, their facilities, and supplies amid mounting risks and shrinking access.

The international body renewed its calls for a halt to the fighting and de-escalation of hostilities around El Fasher, which has become a critical flashpoint in the conflict. The city, still under SAF control, remains the last major stronghold in Darfur not captured by the RSF.

Both warring sides were reminded of their obligation under international law to safeguard civilian Population and to ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. “All parties must allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all areas in need,” the Council urged.

The appeal comes as fears grow over an impending large-scale humanitarian disaster in El Fasher and surrounding areas, which have been under RSF siege for weeks. Relief efforts remain severely hampered by the fighting, with many aid agencies unable to reach those trapped inside the city or in nearby camps, where famine and disease are spreading rapidly.

The Security Council’s statement marks a rare moment of consensus on Sudan among major world powers and adds to increasing international pressure on both the SAF and the RSF to cease hostilities and resume negotiations. However, with neither side showing signs of backing down, the prospects for peace remain uncertain, as civilians continue to bear the brunt of the civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict’s violence.