(United Nations) The UN Security Council on Thursday demanded an end to the “siege” of El-Facher by paramilitaries in Sudan and an end to fighting around this major Darfur city where hundreds of thousands are trapped of civilians.
The resolution prepared by the United Kingdom, which received 14 votes in favor, with Russia abstaining, “demands that the Rapid Support Forces end the siege of El-Facher, and calls for an immediate end fighting and de-escalation in and around El-Facher”.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been the scene of a deadly war between the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his former deputy turned rival, General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo.
The only capital of the five Darfur states to escape the control of the RSF, El-Facher had long been relatively spared from the fighting. The city, home to many refugees, served as a humanitarian hub for this vast region of western Sudan threatened by famine.
But on May 10, intense fighting broke out there, raising fears of an “alarming” new turn in the conflict, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“The adoption of this resolution sends a clear message,” said British Ambassador Barbara Woodward.
It aims to “help ensure a localized ceasefire around El-Facher, and create broader conditions to support de-escalation in the country, and save lives,” she added.
The resolution thus calls for the “withdrawal of all combatants who threaten the security of civilians” and calls on all parties to allow civilians who wish to do so to leave El-Facher.
The text also asks Antonio Guterres to present “recommendations” to improve the protection of civilians in Sudan.
Welcoming the adoption of the resolution, Louis Charbonneau of Human Rights Watch went further, calling on the secretary-general to “urgently work with African Union member states to deploy a mission with a mandate to protect civilians.”
“Today’s resolution puts the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces on notice that the world is watching,” he added.
Humanitarians and the UN continue to sound the alarm about the nightmare experienced over the past year by the Sudanese population, particularly in Darfur, and fear in particular that the war will degenerate into new ethnic violence.
The region was already ravaged more than 20 years ago by the scorched earth policy led by the Janjawids – Arab militiamen since enlisted in the RSF – for then president Omar al-Bashir.
The new conflict has already left tens of thousands dead and some 9 million displaced and refugees.
In March, the Security Council called for an “immediate” ceasefire during the month of Ramadan which began a few days later, a resolution which was not acted upon.
The resolution adopted Thursday calls on the parties to agree on an immediate ceasefire, and to remove obstacles to humanitarian access, at a time when famine threatens millions of inhabitants. In particular, it calls for the reopening of the Adre cross-border crossing point, between Chad and Sudan.
The text finally calls on all member states to “refrain from any external interference aimed at fomenting conflict and instability” and demands respect for the arms embargo, without naming any country.
In their report published in January, the experts charged by the Council with monitoring the sanctions regime denounced violations of the arms embargo, pointing the finger at several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, accused of sending weapons to the RSF .
