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The Needless Horror in Darfur Must Stop
One year into Sudan’s brutal civil war that has killed over 20,000 people and displaced some 13 million, the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the paramilitary RSF, Rapid Support Forces, coalesced around El Shafer, the capital of Sudan’s Darfur region. The city, which has been a major destination of Sudanese refugees since the conflict began, is the SAF's last stronghold in the region and as such, has been under siege by the RSF since April. Since April, El Shafer and its surroundings have been the scene of fierce fighting.
On September 12, the hostilities escalated as the RFS launched a multi-pronged attack on the city and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
“The United States is deeply concerned about reports of a full-on assault and serious escalation in the RSF’s months-long siege on El Fasher,” said Robert Wood, U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs at the U.N.
“We are appalled by reports of civilian deaths. The fighting is reportedly taking on an increasingly ethnic and tribal dimension, exacerbating the atrocity risk. We are equally alarmed that the Sudanese Armed Forces have responded with increased and widespread aerial bombardments of the area.”
As can be expected, the siege and fierce fighting pose an existential threat to civilians everywhere within the region. The situation is particularly bad in Zamzam camp 15 kilometers [9 miles] South of El Fasher. Not only are the half million internally displaced people living there suffering from famine and flooding, but they were also forced there by the Sudanese Army.
“This needless horror must stop,” said Ambassador Wood. “The United States calls on the SAF and the RSF to pull back their forces, facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, and re-engage in negotiations to end this war.”
“The United States calls on the parties to agree to a localized humanitarian pause for El Fasher and the surrounding areas, including Zamzam IDP camp, to allow aid to surge in and innocent civilians to flee,” he said.
Quoting President Joe Biden, Ambassador Wood said, “Let it be clear: the United States will not abandon our commitment to the people of Sudan who deserve freedom, peace, and justice. We call for all parties to this conflict to end this violence and refrain from fueling it, for the future of Sudan and for all of the Sudanese people.”