The United Nations on Tuesday decried the continuing escalation of violence in Sudan and notably in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State.
The UN Assistant Secretary-General, Martha Pobee, expressed the sentiments in the remarks to the Security Council on the situation in Sudan on Tuesday.
Pobee said the persistent engagement of the Security Council was crucial, but the warring parties needed to cooperate for the restoration of peace.
“Despite efforts by the United Nations, its member states, and the regional organizations, we have not succeeded in preventing the escalation of violence in the country and notably in El Fasher,” Pobee said.
“We are deeply worried that the fighting in and around El Fasher could lead to more mass suffering by the civilian population. There are atrocities along ethnic lines. And we witness the severe consequences of relentless shelling and aerial bombardments in densely populated areas,” she added.
Pobee noted that from April 16 to June 9, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had documented at least 192 civilian deaths in El Fasher, a figure that has since been rising by the day.
She singled out for condemnation the attack on the South Hospital in El Fasher, carried out reportedly by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on June 8, noting that the acts had deprived thousands of civilians trapped in the city of one of their last remaining lifelines.
The adoption of resolution 2736 (2024) last week, Pobee pointed out, underlined the well-established responsibility of the warring parties and reiterated the pressing need for them to abide by the International Humanitarian Law.
“As requested by the Security Council, the Secretary-General will actively develop recommendations to more to effectively strengthen the protection of civilians,” Pobee promised.
As the Security Council meets to closely follow the developments on the ground, the fighting between the warring parties continues to rage, and escalating in several other parts of Sudan, including Greater Khartoum, the Kordofan regions, and Gezira State.
Pobee commended the African union for launching a process for the convening of a Sudanese civilian political dialogue. The UN, she added, stands ready to facilitate the provision of a United Nations appropriate contribution.