Sudan's envoy to UN in Geneva warns of atrocities in El-Fasher

(MENAFN) Sudan’s UN ambassador in Geneva on Tuesday described the situation in El-Fasher as genocidal, warning that civilians are facing famine-like conditions due to the blockade imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"The humane tragedy unfolding in El-Fasher is not a surprise. Sudan has been warning about this inhumane tragedy for over 2 years. It is the direct result of the international community's inaction," Hassan Hamid said during a media briefing.

He reported that civilians trapped under RSF control are starving, with some forced to eat “animal feed leftovers” to survive. Hospitals, including Saudi Hospital and El-Fasher University Hospital, were reportedly stormed by RSF fighters, with “patients, medical staff, and wounded (were) executed inside operating rooms,” he said.

Hamid presented what he described as evidence from research and humanitarian groups, citing ethnic targeting, executions, sexual violence, and forced displacement as indications of genocide. Famine in the area, he emphasized, is “man-made,” noting, "This is not about hunger, (food) shortage, but it is a lack of access to the areas that are controlled by RSF. Those who are starving now are those in the areas controlled by RSF."

He contrasted this with government-controlled areas, where aid is allowed. "If we are talking about the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the needy people within the area controlled by the government of Sudan … we have opened all our borders. Cross-border access is allowed. And likewise, of course, internal access is also allowed," Hamid explained.

Satellite images and reports from human rights monitors, he said, corroborate claims of ethnic targeting, executions, sexual violence, and forced displacement. "International silence has enabled genocide," he warned. "The world must not look away. It is not neutrality, it is complicity."

According to food security analyses, famine has been declared in El-Fasher and the besieged town of Kadugli. Additionally, international courts have recently indicated that the atrocities reported in El-Fasher may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The RSF recently took control of Bara and El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, as part of its ongoing conflict with the Sudanese army, though it denies targeting civilians. Since April 15, 2023, clashes between the army and the RSF have killed thousands and displaced millions, with regional and international mediation efforts failing to end the fighting.

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