U.N. Warns of Imminent Attack on El-Fasher, Capital of North Darfur, Sudan

Senior U.N. leadership has warned the Security Council of an imminent attack on El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, Sudan.

The city, home to 2 million people, is controlled by a patchwork of armed actors including the Darfur Joint Protection Forces, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Alarming reports indicate that the RSF is mobilizing fighters for an attack that could lead to atrocities against the 800,000 civilians sheltering in El-Fasher who are in "extreme and immediate danger."

Over the last two weeks, there has been an uptick in civilian casualties, with many killed and injured in RSF and Arab militia attacks on non-Arab villages west of El-Fasher, as well as during fighting between these forces and the SAF and allied forces. Several villages near the city have been burned to the ground, and people in a camp for internally displaced people have been killed by shelling and clashes. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that reports of an imminent attack raise the "risk of further violations and abuses against civilians."

Why this matters: The attack on El-Fasher threatens to reignite large-scale violence in Darfur, a region devastated by conflict 20 years ago. It risks triggering further atrocities and a humanitarian catastrophe for the millions of civilians in dire need across Darfur.

The conflict in Sudan has been ongoing for over a year, with the SAF and RSF failing to protect civilians. The situation is dire, with over 14,000 people killed, 25 million in need of lifesaving assistance, and 8.6 million displaced. Allegations of atrocities, including the use of sexual violence, child recruitment, and torture, are widespread. The conflict has also devastated the country's economy and infrastructure.

The U.N. has reiterated its demand that the parties to the conflict respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects. The United States special envoy for Sudan has called on the RSF to end the siege and urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians. The UN Security Council meeting and the African Union's Peace and Security Council are urged to take urgent steps to protect Sudan's civilians and prevent further atrocities. As Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy for OCHA, warned on behalf of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, "immediate action is needed to prevent widespread death and total collapse of livelihoods and avert a catastrophic hunger crisis in Sudan."

Key Takeaways

• Imminent attack on El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur, Sudan, threatens 2M civilians.
• RSF militia mobilizing for attack that could lead to atrocities against 800K displaced.
• Uptick in civilian casualties, villages burned, and IDP camp shelled in recent weeks.
• Attack risks reigniting large-scale violence and humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur.
• UN, US, and AU urged to take urgent action to protect civilians and prevent further atrocities.