UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has warned of a growing horrific toll on civilians by the intensified fighting for control El Fasher city in Sudan’s North Darfur.
“Over the past two weeks, the battle for El Fasher has escalated significantly and we have documented increasing incidents of civilians being killed as a result of shelling and airstrikes by both the RSF and the SAF,” said Türk in a press release on Thursday.
Since May 2024, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) supported by allied tribal militia, have besieged El Fasher in their conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied armed movements. The lack of safe routes out of the city, along with exorbitant costs of leaving, have left many trapped there.
In the heaviest recent fighting, on September 20 to 21, at least 20 civilians were killed by artillery shelling near the main market, and many shops were destroyed, the press release says.
“The actual number of civilian casualties is believed to be much higher, but telecommunications blackouts have made verification difficult.”
In the past two weeks, in addition to rising civilian casualties, the UN Human Rights Office reported documenting cases of summary executions, sexual and gender-based violence, and abductions of at least five women and several young men in El Fasher. There have also been reports of large-scale arbitrary arrests in North and South Darfur by the RSF, who accuse civilians of providing information and coordinates of their locations to the SAF.
The press release explained that due to targeted attacks on medical facilities, civilians have been denied access to urgent healthcare, and food supplies were extremely limited.
“From bitter past experience, if El Fasher falls, there is a high risk of ethnically targeted violations and abuses, including summary executions and sexual violence, by the RSF and allied militia,” it quotes Türk saying.
In particular, he highlighted concerns for residents of Abu Shouk IDP camp, which has come under sustained shelling by the RSF since May, and of Zamzam IDP camp.
“People in those camps are at grave risk of retaliatory attacks based on their tribal identity, real or perceived, as coming from the same communities as leaders of armed movements aligned with the SAF,” Türk is further quoted.
“The fighting must stop at once. Enough is enough,” he said.
Türk called on the parties to the conflict live up to their obligations under international humanitarian law and the commitments accepted in the Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians and engage in good faith with mediation efforts.
He also called on the international community, including the Security Council, to take action to protect civilians in Sudan, notably those groups at special risk of targeted violence, and to ensure respect for international law by all parties.