UN says 'gravely concerned' by fresh fighting in Sudan's Darfur

• Published date: 26 April 2024
• Author: Agence France Presse
• Publication title: Citizen, The (South Africa)

A "coordinated attack" on the city of El Fasher "may be imminent," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson's office warned

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"An attack on the city would have devastating consequences for the civilian population. This escalation of tensions is in an area already on the brink of famine," the office said in a statement, reiterating previous calls from Guterres to avoid fighting there.

At least 43 people, including women and children, have been killed in fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 14, when the RSF began its advance towards El Fasher, it said.

Earlier on Friday, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk also expressed his "grave concern" over fighting near the city .

Turk "is gravely concerned by the escalating violence in and around El Fasher city, North Darfur, where dozens of people have been killed in the past two weeks," a statement from his office said.

Millions have been displaced in the country since fighting began last year between the SAF forces of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and FSR paramilitaries under General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Until recently, El Fasher — the last Darfur state capital not under RSF control — had been relatively unaffected by the fighting, hosting a large number of refugees.

But since mid-April, bombardments and clashes have been reported in the city and surrounding villages.

"Civilians are trapped in the city, the only one in...