The top diplomats of the UK, Germany and Jordan have jointly urged for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, as the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating after the fall of El-Fasher to paramilitary forces.
Meanwhile, the UN has warned of the atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during and after the fall of El-Fasher, including summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement.
Sudan Crisis
On Saturday, during the IISS Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain, the foreign ministers of the UK, Germany and Jordan spoke about the grim situation in Sudan after the RSF captured the capital city of North Darfur state.
The British Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, criticized international failure to address the dire situation in Sudan, reported the Associated Press (AP).
“Just as a combination of leadership and international cooperation has made progress in Gaza, it is currently badly failing to deal with the humanitarian crisis and the devastating conflict in Sudan, because the reports from Darfur in recent days have truly horrifying atrocities,” Cooper said.
Humanitarian Suffering
She went on to describe the heinous crimes endured by the Sudanese people. “Mass executions, starvation and the devastating use of rape as a weapon of war, with women and children bearing the brunt of the largest humanitarian crisis in the 21st century. For too long, this terrible conflict has been neglected, while suffering has simply increased,” Cooper noted.
The British Foreign Secretary pointed to the urgency of halting the fighting to alleviate the humanitarian suffering as “no amount of aid can resolve a crisis of this magnitude until the guns fall silent,” she said.
Apocalyptic Situation
Speaking at “The Future of Global Security Governance” plenary session, the German Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, voiced similar concerns, slamming the RSF for violence in El-Fasher.
“Sudan is in absolutely an apocalyptic situation, the greatest humanitarian crisis of the world,” the German Minister said. “The RSF have publicly pledged to protect civilians and they will be held accountable for these actions,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, noted that the war in Sudan has not received the attention it deserves. “A humanitarian crisis of inhumane proportions has taken place there. We’ve got to stop that,” Safadi said.
The Fall of El-Fasher
After an 18-month siege and fierce battles, the RSF declared on Sunday that its forces had taken control of El-Fasher after capturing the 6th Infantry Division command, SAF’s main base in North Darfur state.
A day later, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, confirmed that his forces had withdrawn from the city “to a safer location,” indicating that all five Darfur state capitals have become under the RSF control.
As a result, over 36,000 people have fled since Saturday, mostly on foot, to Tawila – a town west of El-Fasher sheltering more than 652,000 displaced people, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The current lines of control raise the possibility of Sudan’s effective partition, as the SAF controls the center, north and east, while the RSF holds Darfur region and parts of the south, with each side declaring a government.
The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023, triggering what the UN described as “the world’s most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis,” which has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over 14 million inside Sudan and to neighboring countries, and pushed parts of the country into famine amid cholera outbreaks.
RSF Crimes in Sudan
The UN has warned against the atrocities in El-Fasher, calling for accountability for the perpetrators. “Since the RSF made a major incursion into the city on 23 October, we have received horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement,” the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said.
Reports emerged about the killing of sick and wounded individuals inside the Saudi Maternity Hospital and in buildings in the Dara Jawila and Al-Matar neighborhoods, which were being used as temporary medical centers.
The alleged massacre claimed the lives of 460 patients and their relatives, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.
Furthermore, the OHCHR received reports of sexual violence. “At least 25 women were gang raped when RSF’s forces entered a shelter for displaced people near El-Fasher University. Witnesses confirm RSF’s personnel selected women and girls and raped them at gunpoint,” it said.
“There must be independent, prompt, transparent and thorough investigations into all such breaches of international law, and for those responsible to be held to account,” the UN agency urged.
