GENEVA

The UN human rights chief on Wednesday expressed outrage over a large-scale attack by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the besieged city of El Fasher and the adjoining Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced people, which left scores of civilians dead.

Preliminary UN human rights office information indicated at least 57 civilians were killed in Monday's attack, including 40 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Abu Shouk camp. The office is also following up on allegations of executions of IDPs during the assault, it said in a statement.

"It is with dismay that we yet again witness an unimaginable horror inflicted upon civilians in El Fasher, who have endured over a year of siege, persistent attacks and dire humanitarian conditions," Volker Turk said. "Such repeated attacks on civilians, which raise serious concerns under international humanitarian law, are totally unacceptable and must stop."

Between January and June, the Abu Shouk camp came under RSF attack at least 16 times, killing 212 IDPs and injuring 111 others, the statement noted.

"Once again, I am raising the alarm about the serious risk of ethnically motivated persecution as the RSF tries to seize control of El Fasher and Abu Shouk camp," Turk said.

He urged urgent protection measures, humanitarian pauses, and safe passage for civilians, calling on third states to use all their influence to put an end to these violations, and stressing that "accountability is crucial to break this cycle of persistent and egregious violations."

As of now, in Sudan’s 18 states, RSF forces retain control only over parts of North and West Kordofan, pockets in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, and four of the five states of the Darfur region.

Sudan's army and RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced over 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.