UN Rights Chief Raises Alarm Over Intensified Fighting in El Fasher, Sudan

The actual toll is feared to be much higher, complicated by ongoing telecommunications blackouts that hinder accurate reporting.

Volker Türk, the UN Human Rights Chief, has issued a stark warning regarding the alarming escalation of fighting in El Fasher, North Darfur, where civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Since May 2024, El Fasher has been under siege by the RSF, supported by allied tribal militias, leaving residents trapped with limited options for escape.

“Over the past two weeks, the battle for El Fasher has escalated significantly,” Türk stated, citing an increase in civilian casualties resulting from both shelling and airstrikes carried out by the RSF and SAF. In a particularly devastating incident on September 20-21, at least 20 civilians were killed near the main market due to artillery shelling, and numerous shops were destroyed. The actual toll is feared to be much higher, complicated by ongoing telecommunications blackouts that hinder accurate reporting.

The UN Human Rights Office has documented a troubling rise in human rights abuses during this period, including:

Summary executions

Sexual and gender-based violence

Abductions of at least five women and several young men in El Fasher

Large-scale arbitrary arrests by the RSF, targeting individuals suspected of sharing information with the SAF

Civilians are also facing severe limitations on access to urgent healthcare due to targeted attacks on medical facilities, and food supplies are critically low.

“From bitter past experience, if El Fasher falls, there is a high risk of ethnically targeted violations and abuses, including summary executions and sexual violence, by the RSF and allied militia,” Türk cautioned. He specifically expressed concern for residents of the Abu Shouk and Zamzam IDP camps, which have come under persistent shelling. These communities are particularly vulnerable to retaliatory attacks based on their tribal affiliations, especially if they are perceived to be associated with SAF-aligned armed groups.

Türk also referenced findings from recent monitoring missions to eastern Chad, where the UN Human Rights Office documented severe patterns of ethnically targeted violence against the Masalit community following RSF's control of areas in West Darfur in 2023.

Moreover, the UN Human Rights Chief highlighted the growing civilian casualties and escalated hostilities in other regions, including Khartoum and Sennar state. “The fighting must stop at once. Enough is enough,” he declared. Türk called on both conflicting parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and fulfil the commitments made in the Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians and engage sincerely in mediation efforts.

He further urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to take decisive action to protect civilians in Sudan, especially those at heightened risk of targeted violence, and to ensure compliance with international law by all involved parties.