Sudanese Army Launches Air Strikes on El Fasher Amid Fears of Imminent Attack

The Sudanese army has launched air strikes on the city of El Fasher in North Darfur, amid concerns from the UN Security Council over an impending attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies on the city, which is sheltering thousands of displaced people. The RSF, a paramilitary force, has been fighting the Sudanese army for control of the country since April 2022, in a war that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

A senior U.S. official cautioned that more than 2 million people in El Fasher are under immediate threat of a large-scale massacre from the RSF, a paramilitary group made up of elements of the Janjaweed fighters who carried out a genocide in Darfur in the early 2000s. The UN has said an attack on the city could be impending, as the Sudanese army also appears to be positioning itself.

Why this matters: The situation in El Fasher highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, with millions of civilians caught in the crossfire of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The potential for a large-scale massacre in the city underscores the pressing need for international intervention to protect civilians and bring an end to the fighting.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the US warned that an attack on El Fasher would be a "disaster on top of a disaster," putting 500,000 internally displaced persons at risk. She called for the RSF to end its siege and military buildup in the city, and for all parties to the conflict to de-escalate and engage in direct negotiations.

The UN Security Council met to discuss the situation and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to the negotiating table, as the conflict cannot be solved on the battlefield. The UN has also warned that the security situation has effectively cut off humanitarian access to El Fasher, leaving more than 330,000 people dealing with acute food insecurity, many of them displaced persons seeking safety in the city.

The US ambassador to the UN urged all regional powers to stop providing weapons to both parties in accordance with the UN arms embargo, and called for direct negotiations between the RSF and the Sudanese military in Jeddah. The UK's UN deputy ambassador also expressed the Security Council's concern about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, noting the barriers to humanitarian access imposed by both sides to the conflict.

The crisis in Darfur has devastated one of Africa's largest countries and created a vast humanitarian crisis, with UN officials describing it as one of the biggest in decades. The US has appealed to all countries, including the UAE, to stop supporting Sudan's warring parties, as a "crisis of epic proportions is brewing." Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov visited Sudan, signaling support for the Sudanese army, which is locked in a year-long war with the paramilitary RSF.

The UN Security Council has expressed grave concerns over the escalating violence in and around El Fasher, where dozens of people have already been killed. The US ambassador to the UN warned that the history of genocide in Darfur 20 years ago is "repeating itself" and urged countries providing support to the warring parties to cease that support immediately

Key Takeaways

• Sudanese army launches air strikes on El Fasher, North Darfur, amid RSF attack concerns.
• US warns of imminent large-scale massacre in El Fasher by RSF, a Janjaweed-linked group.
• UN calls for immediate ceasefire and negotiations to end the conflict in Sudan.
• Humanitarian access to El Fasher cut off, leaving over 330,000 people facing acute food insecurity.
• US urges regional powers to stop providing weapons to warring parties in Sudan's conflict.