Amid ‘Atrocious’ Humanitarian Situation in North Darfur, Senior Official, Briefing Security Council, Stresses Need for ‘Rapid De-escalation in Conflict’ – Sudan

9727th Meeting (PM)

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We Can No Longer Tolerate Seeing Civilians Under Siege’, Says Representative, Underlining Importance That Peace Prevail in Sudan

A new wave of large-scale fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces broke out in the city of El Fasher on 12 September, a senior UN official told the Security Council today, reporting that hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the capital of North Darfur, Sudan, are now “at risk of the consequences of mass violence”.

“Prevention efforts to avert a further military escalation in El Fasher have failed,” observed Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. This current fighting, she noted, marks the latest chapter of violence in the city, occurring amidst a months-long siege by the Rapid Support Forces that has caused “appalling” levels of suffering for the civilian population.

Spotlighting the “well-known” risk that the escalating violence could fuel a “dangerous ethnic dimension of this conflict” and destabilize the entire region, she detailed recent diplomatic efforts aimed at protecting civilians. Underlining the need for warring parties to respect their international-law obligations, for continued pursuit of a ceasefire and for all Member States to observe the arms embargo for Darfur, she added: “I urge members of the Security Council to employ their collective leverage to help protect the population caught in the crossfire.”

Echoing that sentiment was Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, who detailed the “manifold” threats to life posed by the fighting in El Fasher. In addition to attacks on hospitals and health facilities, famine in Zamzam camp — home to around 500,000 internally displaced people — has led to devastating conditions, with Médecins Sans Frontières reporting that a child was dying there “every two hours”.

“The atrocious humanitarian situation calls for a rapid de-escalation in the conflict,” she stressed, voicing concern over signs that the fighting will intensify. Urging the Council to demand that the parties comply with international humanitarian law, refrain from targeting civilians and allow humanitarian access, she also called on donors to increase funding. “Millions of lives depend on us — it is time to act,” she concluded.

In the following discussion, Council members expressed concern over the plight of civilians trapped by the fighting in and around El Fasher. While some welcomed positive humanitarian developments — such as the opening of the Adre crossing — others underscored that more is needed, including a humanitarian pause in the conflict. Along those lines, members also urged the warring parties to de-escalate the situation and stressed that outside actors must respect the arms embargo that the Council has established for Darfur.

Among them was the representative of the United Kingdom, who requested today’s meeting following reports of escalation around El Fasher. Condemning the Rapid Support Forces’ assault on the area and calling for an immediate end to the fighting, he also said that States must refrain from enhancing either side’s fighting capability. “All Member States have a responsibility to uphold the arms embargo, which this Council renewed just last week,” he stressed.

Japan’s representative also expressed concern over the consistently reported provision of military, logistical and financial support to the warring parties from outside Sudan. The Council’s arms embargo must be strictly implemented, and he said that those who violate it may be designated under the 15-member organ’s recently renewed Sudan sanctions regime. Further, he joined others in voicing alarm over the “plausibly ongoing famine” in the Zamzam camp, calling on the parties to facilitate unhindered humanitarian relief.

“We can no longer tolerate seeing civilians under siege,” stressed Algeria’s representative, also speaking for Guyana, Mozambique and Sierra Leone. Calling for sustained humanitarian access and a “comprehensive and fact-based approach” to civilian protection, he stressed that international law and human-rights principles must be respected by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. “Peace must prevail in Sudan,” he asserted.

Similarly, China’s representative underscored: “International humanitarian law is the bottom line that must be observed by all parties.” Welcoming the Government’s recent initiatives to reopen aid routes — including Adre — and facilitate entry for humanitarian workers, he said that the international community must provide more financial support to the Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan. He also warned against the politicization of such assistance.

Building on that, the representative of the Russian Federation said that humanitarian assistance should be conducted exclusively in coordination with the central authorities. Sudan’s Government, she stressed, is “the only guarantor of unity, sovereignty and integrity of the State”. Therefore, rejecting external instructions, she said that Sudan’s people “can and should resolve their domestic problems themselves”.

For his part, Sudan’s representative said: “We are ready to work with all international partners to find a peaceful solution, to alleviate the suffering of our people and rebuild peace and security.” Detailing the suffering and devastation wrought by the Rapid Support Forces’ ongoing attacks, he spotlighted their deliberate efforts to provoke famine and perpetrate ethnic cleansing. Nevertheless, the Government has allowed aid to reach areas under the militia’s control, he said — “because there are Sudanese citizens living there”.

REPORTS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE SUDAN AND SOUTH SUDAN

Briefings

MARTHA AMA AKYAA POBEE, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, briefing the Security Council on “yet another escalation of fighting in El Fasher”, said that hundreds of thousands trapped in the city, the capital of North Darfur, Sudan, are now “at risk of the consequences of mass violence”. Open sources report that a fresh round of large-scale fighting broke out in El Fasher on 12 September, as the Rapid Support Forces launched a coordinated attack on the city from multiple directions and the Sudanese Armed Forces and affiliated armed movements reportedly repelled it in the days that followed. This current fighting marks the latest chapter of violence in El Fasher, occurring amidst a months-long siege on the city by the Rapid Support Forces that has caused “appalling” levels of suffering for the civilian population, she said. “Prevention efforts to avert a further military escalation in El Fasher have failed,” she observed.

Spotlighting the “well-known” risk that the escalating fighting could fuel a “dangerous ethnic dimension of this conflict” and destabilize the entire region, she noted engagement by the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan in July, as well as mediation efforts by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland in August. The impetus underpinning the UN’s collective efforts during this “season of diplomacy”, she said, “has been to amplify the criticality of the protection of civilians” — both in El Fasher and across Sudan. While such protection is the Government’s responsibility, all warring parties must respect and uphold their obligations under international law. “An agreement on a ceasefire would be the single most effective way to strengthen civilian protection,” she pointed out. Adding that, prior to the deterioration of the situation in El Fasher, a local ceasefire protected the city’s population for close to a year, she stressed that a return to such an arrangement — and similar short-term solutions in other locations — must continue to be pursued.

“The conflict in Sudan is not occurring in a vacuum,” she went on to say, noting that the “flames of armed violence continue to be fanned by inflows of weapons” to the country. She therefore called on all Member States to refrain from supplying arms to Sudan, and to observe the arms embargo for Darfur, pursuant to relevant Council resolutions. Detailing the continued “complete disregard” for international human rights and humanitarian law shown by the Rapid Support Forces, Sudanese Armed Forces and their allies, she underscored that prevailing impunity and lack of accountability are major challenges in Sudan. Human-rights violations must cease, perpetrators must be held accountable for their crimes and immediate action is needed to halt the fighting in El Fasher. She added: “I urge members of the Security Council to employ their collective leverage to help protect the population caught in the crossfire.”

JOYCE MSUYA, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, painting a dire picture of the “brutal war” that has lasted for 17 months, said there was “no end in sight for this catastrophe”. Since April 2023, six Council meetings have addressed the situation in El Fasher, where large-scale fighting has escalated, with shelling and aerial bombardment affecting civilians, especially women and children. “The threats to life posed by the fighting in El Fasher are manifold,” she said, spotlighting multiple attacks on hospitals and health facilities and severe hunger that threatens close to 1.7 million people in North Darfur. Famine in Zamzam camp, hosting around half a million internally displaced people, has led to devastating conditions, with Médecins Sans Frontières reporting that “a child was dying in the Zamzam camp every two hours”.

Delivery of humanitarian relief has been compounded by “almost impassable obstacles”, she said, adding that, since May, roads to El Fasher and Zamzam have been inaccessible due to heavy rains, and international staff have been absent since April. “But, we have far from given up,” she stressed, detailing local and international attempts to deliver food and nutrition assistance, including plans of the World Food Programme (WFP) to distribute food to 179,000 people affected in Zamzam. However, she cautioned that “without safe and predictable access and a steady supply of food and humanitarian supplies”, there will be “a dramatic spike in mortality — including children”.

The situation is equally grim across Sudan, with over 8 million people displaced and over 2 million fleeing across borders. “The atrocious humanitarian situation calls for a rapid de-escalation in the conflict,” she emphasised, voicing concern about the signs that the fighting will intensify. Despite some progress — such as the reopening of the Adre crossing from Chad — “a large-scale and unhindered humanitarian operation” is essential to save lives. Against this backdrop, she urged the Council to demand that the parties comply with international humanitarian law, refrain from targeting civilians and allow humanitarian access. A “humanitarian pause” is necessary to provide civilians respite and deliver assistance. Additionally, donors must increase funding, as less than 50 per cent of the requested humanitarian appeal of $2.7 billion has been raised. “Millions of lives depend on us — it is time to act,” she concluded.

Statements

The representative of the United Kingdom said that his delegation requested this Council meeting following alarming reports of escalation around El Fasher, condemning the Rapid Support Forces’ assault on the area and calling for an immediate end to the fighting. Calling on States to refrain from enhancing either side’s fighting capability, he said: “All Member States have a responsibility to uphold the arms embargo which this Council renewed just last week.” He underlined obligations under international law, adding: “We must continue to send a clear message to the warring parties that we are closely watching.” Events in El Fasher emphasize the importance of the work under way by the Secretary-General to produce recommendations for the protection of civilians. Humanitarian access must be scaled up — both cross-border and across conflict lines, he said, welcoming the recent reopening of Adre border crossing as “an important step”.

The representative of China urged the parties concerned to effectively implement relevant Council resolutions and to “stop besieging El Fasher”. Further, they must prevent a further escalation of hostilities that would lead to wider catastrophe and destruction. “International humanitarian law is the bottom line that must be observed by all parties,” he said, underscoring that civilian populations and facilities should not become military targets. And noting that the Government has repeatedly committed to protect civilians, he called on all parties to safeguard the rights of vulnerable groups. He also stressed that alleviating Sudan’s humanitarian crisis requires urgent attention, welcoming the Government’s recent initiatives to reopen aid routes — including Adre — and facilitate entry for humanitarian workers. For its part, the international community — “especially traditional donors” — must provide more financial support to the humanitarian response plan for Sudan, and he also warned against the politicization of such assistance.

The representative of Switzerland voiced concern about the impact of the escalation in El Fasher on the lives of civilians, who are facing “violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, indiscriminate attacks, repeated displacement and the imminent risk of starvation”. “The scale of the suffering and destruction in El Fasher, but not only there, is beyond comprehension,” he stressed, reiterating urgent calls to the Sudanese Armed Forces, Rapid Support Forces and all parties for de-escalation as well as for the respect for international humanitarian law. “The cessation of hostilities, including through localized ceasefires or humanitarian pauses, is crucial to addressing the worsening humanitarian situation,” he stated. Describing the temporary opening of the Adre border as “a promising first step”, he urged to eliminate all “bureaucratic obstacles” to ensure rapid and unimpeded delivery. He further warned that the end of the rainy season will likely bring “a further acceleration of the fighting” across Sudan, with a risk of the conflict becoming regionalized.

The representative of the Russian Federation said that famine cannot be allowed to happen in Sudan, noting that there is food there. The difficulties are linked to its distribution and the population’s acute shortage of money. Any humanitarian assistance should be carried out exclusively in coordination with the central authorities and consider the true causes of the problems and realistic ways of resolving them. “Opening the (Adre) crossing point was not a magic wand,” he said, warning that “practically all of the assistance that crosses that checkpoint remains exclusively with one party”. The Sudanese Armed Forces, with the support of local self-defence units, are ensuring the protection and safety of civilians and trying to return stability to North Darfur. Regardless of some Council members’ attitude to one party or another, the existing Government of Sudan is “the only guarantor of unity, sovereignty and integrity of the State”, she said, rejecting external instructions. “The Sudanese people can and should resolve their domestic problems themselves,” she observed.

The representative of Japan urged the parties to implement resolution 2736 (2024) — adopted three months ago — which called for an immediate halt to the fighting and de-escalation in and around El Fasher. Expressing concern over the “plausibly ongoing famine” in the Zamzam camp, he called on the parties to allow and facilitate the full, rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained passage of humanitarian relief. In that vein, he welcomed the Government’s recent decision to open the Adre border crossing and facilitate access along Dabbah Road. He expressed further concern over the consistently reported provision of military, logistical and financial support to the warring parties from outside Sudan, welcoming the Council’s unanimous renewal of the Sudan sanctions regime for another year. The arms embargo must be strictly implemented, and those who violate such measures may be designated for doing so, he added.

The representative of Ecuador condemned the massacre in El Fasher, stressing that “the perpetrators must not go unpunished”. “Violence against civilians is a clear violation of international humanitarian law,” he underscored, urging all parties to ensure protection of civilian infrastructure, guarantee the freedom of movement for humanitarian workers and facilitate safe passage for people fleeing the war. Pointing out the deplorable situation of women in the conflict, he emphasized that the use of sexual violence as tactic of war is “unacceptable”. He further urged to keep the humanitarian corridors open and accessible to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most at this critical time. Welcoming the adoption of resolution 2750 (2024), he urged all States to “strictly respect the arms embargo” and “refrain from any external interference that may fuel the conflict”. “The time to silence the guns in Sudan is now,” he concluded.

The representative of France recalled Council resolution 2736 (2024) calling on the Rapid Support Forces to lift the siege of El Fasher and on all parties to the conflict to cease fighting to respond to the humanitarian emergency. “Unfortunately, this resolution is not being respected,” he said, noting that the warring parties continue to intensify strikes, including against civilian infrastructure and health facilities. Their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law were reiterated in the Declaration of Principles adopted on the sidelines of the humanitarian conference in Paris on 15 April. In addition, all Member States must refrain from arming, financing or logistically supporting the parties, he said, reiterating his country’s commitment to the arms embargo on Darfur, welcoming the recent renewal of the sanctions regime related to the situation in Darfur. He then drew attention to a ministerial meeting next week that his delegation is co-organizing with Germany, United States and the European Union on the sidelines of the General Assembly, building on the Paris conference.

The representative of Malta condemned the use of sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls in the conflict. “We are horrified,” he said, by reports of widespread rape, gang rape, attempted rape and other forms of sexual violence, including sexual exploitation and forced prostitution, especially those committed by the Rapid Support Forces on Masalit women. Emphasizing the critical need for gender-responsive humanitarian action that addresses the specific needs of women and girls, he also voiced deep concern about the highest number of verified grave violations against children in more than a decade. The recruitment and use of children in hostilities constitutes a war crime. “Children’s place must be in schools and not on the battlefield,” he said.

The representative of the United States called on both parties to withdraw their forces, facilitate unhindered humanitarian access and re-engage in negotiations to end this war. Further, the Rapid Support Forces must immediately halt its attacks, and the Sudanese Armed Forces must end its indiscriminate bombing. Noting that hundreds of thousands of people in the Zamzam camp face famine while millions more are on the brink of starvation, he observed: “Yet, the leaders of both factions choose to inflict even greater suffering on the people of Sudan.” He therefore called on the parties to agree to a localized humanitarian pause in El Fasher and its surrounds — including the Zamzam camp — to allow aid to “surge in” and innocents civilians to flee. The Council and the international community should join this effort, he added, also underlining the need to hold accountable those responsible for “atrocities and other abuses” in Sudan.

The representative of Algeria, speaking also on behalf of Guyana, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, expressed deep concern over the Sudan conflict, which has persisted for over 500 days, leading to tens of thousands of deaths and creating the “world’s largest hunger, protection and displacement crisis”. He condemned recent attacks by the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher, stating civilians “can no longer find a place to feel safe”. Calls for de-escalation and protection in resolution 2736 (2024) remain “flagrantly ignored”, he said, pointing out the worsening acute food insecurity levels, particularly in Zamzam camp. “We can no longer tolerate seeing civilians under siege,” he stressed, underscoring the importance of sustaining humanitarian access to reach affected civilians, especially in El Fasher. He went on to call for “a comprehensive and fact-based” approach to civilian protection, adding that international law and human rights principles must be respected by the Sudanese parties, namely the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. “Peace must prevail in Sudan,” he asserted.

The representative of the Republic of Korea said that “this war is being perpetuated by the pursuit of vested interests by internal and external actors” and “tragically, it is the vulnerable Sudanese that continues to bear the heaviest burden of this man-made crisis”. The warring parties have a responsibility to immediately end this conflict and work towards realizing the aspirations of the Sudanese people for peace and prosperity, he said, urging external actors to refrain from any actions that exacerbate the conflict. While welcoming ongoing mediation efforts by external stakeholders, he expressed deep concern about the continued emergence of reports of those players fomenting instability. Unfortunately, the adoption of Council resolutions calling for the cessation of hostilities have not yet delivered the desired outcomes, he observed, urging the 15-member organ to take concrete measures to address the situation in Sudan.

The representative of Slovenia, Council President for September, spoke in his national capacity to underscore: “The situation in El Fasher must serve as a wake-up call.” Demanding that the Rapid Support Forces cease its siege on the city and that the Sudanese Armed Forces halt its reportedly indiscriminate aerial bombardments, he stressed that all parties must “prioritize dialogue over violence”. And as the absence of humanitarian access can kill just as bullets and bombs do, he welcomed the reopening of the Adre crossing and the Dabbah Road but also said that “these developments must be sustained and significantly expanded”. Turning to the “far too many reports highlighting the horrors in Sudan”, he noted that sexual and gender-based violence continue to be committed on a large scale. “We fear that much of the true extent of these atrocities remains hidden, leaving the crisis largely in the shadows,” he added, stating that the Council must act — “not to defend national or geographic interests, but humanity itself”.

The representative of Sudan expressed deep appreciation to the international delegations that have condemned the violence perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher and other regions of the country. He highlighted his Government’s determination to put an end to the human suffering and conflict, while respecting the law and protecting civilians. “We are ready to work with all international partners to find a peaceful solution, to alleviate the suffering of our people and rebuild peace and security, as well as the rule of law and ensure a return to democracy,” he asserted. The Government of Sudan allowed humanitarian aid to reach areas under Rapid Support Forces control, he said, adding: “We have not hindered and will never hinder humanitarian assistance even to areas controlled by the militia because there are Sudanese citizens living there.”

He further provided ample evidence of the Rapid Support Forces violating resolution 2736 (2024), detailing the immense human suffering and devastation caused by the militia’s ongoing attacks — including the use of heavy artillery and missiles to target residential neighbourhoods, markets, refugee camps and critical infrastructure. This violence has resulted in a significant displacement of civilians, many of whom are now in desperate conditions in refugee camps such as Zamzam. “These militia are supported by foreign mercenaries, and they have become an epidemic which must be contained,” he stressed, accusing the United Arab Emirates of supporting the Rapid Support Forces. Warning of the Support Force’s deliberate efforts to provoke famine, he accused them of carrying out ethnic cleansing and using hunger as a weapon of war.

For information media. Not an official record.