UN leaders condemn ‘horrifying’ mass killings in Sudan

UN Leaders Condemn ‘Horrifying’ Mass Killings in Sudan

In a chilling development that has drawn global condemnation, United Nations leaders have decried the mass killings of civilians in El Fasher, Sudan, following the city’s takeover by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The emergency session of the UN Security Council, convened at the behest of the United Kingdom, brought to light a wave of atrocities that have unfolded in the region, prompting urgent calls for international accountability and humanitarian intervention.

Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, described the situation as “simply horrifying.” She reported that the UN Human Rights Office had documented widespread and grave violations in and around El Fasher, including credible accounts of mass killings, summary executions during house-to-house searches, and attacks on civilians attempting to flee.

Communications in the area have been severed, making it difficult to ascertain the full scale of the violence, but the prevailing reality is that no civilian is safe and there is no secure route out of the city.

Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, echoed these concerns, stating that El Fasher had descended into “an even darker hell.” He highlighted the massacre of nearly 500 people at the Saudi maternity hospital and the mass exodus of tens of thousands to Tawila, where displaced civilians, primarily women and children, are reportedly facing extortion, violence, and abduction.

The Security Council issued a statement condemning the atrocities attributed to the RSF, including arbitrary detentions and summary executions.

The council also expressed alarm over the external supply of arms to the RSF, which has exacerbated the conflict.

Although the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied providing military support to the RSF, the session was particularly uncomfortable for the Gulf nation, which is widely viewed as a key backer of the paramilitary group.

In the UK, Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty addressed Parliament, calling the reports of mass atrocities and forced displacement “horrifying and deeply alarming.” He acknowledged that UK-made military equipment had been found in Sudan, though he distinguished between “items” and “weaponry,” asserting that there was no evidence of UK weapons or ammunition being used in the conflict.

This revelation has sparked calls from figures such as Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller to suspend all UK arms sales to the UAE until it can be proven that such exports have not been diverted to Sudan.

Human rights organizations have also weighed in. Kate Ferguson, co-director of the UK-based charity Protection Approaches, called for an “emergency coalition of conscience” to protect civilians and hold enablers of the violence accountable.

Human Rights Watch has urged the imposition of targeted sanctions on the UAE leadership, while U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen has advocated for a ban on American arms sales to the UAE.

Despite the gravity of the situation, the international community has been criticized for its tepid response.

While the Security Council condemned the violence, there was a notable absence of calls to formally recognize the events as genocide or to invoke the UN’s responsibility to protect doctrine. This has fueled frustration among humanitarian advocates who argue that the world is once again failing to act decisively in the face of mass atrocities.

A peace roadmap proposed by the so-called Quad, comprising the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, remains unimplemented. The plan had called for a three-month humanitarian truce, a permanent ceasefire, and a nine-month transition to a civilian-led government.

However, with the situation in El Fasher deteriorating rapidly, the prospects for peace appear increasingly remote.

The crisis in Sudan, particularly in El Fasher, stands as a stark reminder of the international community’s struggle to prevent and respond to mass atrocities.

As the RSF continues its campaign of violence and civilians bear the brunt of the conflict, the world watches with growing urgency, and a deepening sense of moral failure.