Sudan denounces 'international silence' over RSF atrocities in El-Fasher, Bara

KHARTOUM / ISTANBUL

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem condemned the international community’s silence over ongoing “violations” committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher, North Darfur and Bara in North Kordofan on Monday.

The remarks came during his meeting in Port Sudan with the head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, who arrived in Sudan on for a five-day visit, according to the official news agency SUNA.

Salem denounced “the international community’s silence over the ongoing violations committed by the RSF in El-Fasher and Bara."

He stressed “the need for concerted international efforts to designate the RSF as a terrorist organization.”

The minister also reaffirmed the government’s full commitment to facilitating humanitarian work and ensuring the safety of humanitarian personnel, highlighting continued partnership with the IOM, particularly in projects supporting the voluntary return of Sudanese migrants.

Sudan faces a worsening humanitarian crisis amid a bloody conflict between the army and the RSF since April 2023, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of people.

Pope expressed “solidarity with Sudan following the recent RSF takeover of El-Fasher and the grave, widespread violations committed against residents and civilians, which forced large numbers to flee to the areas of al-Dabba in the Northern State and Tawila in North Darfur,” according to the agency.

The director general reaffirmed the IOM’s partnership and its efforts to address the humanitarian needs of newly displaced people in al-Dabba and Tawila.

During the visit, Pope will also meet several officials and conduct field trips to al-Dabba and Khartoum to assess the conditions of the displaced from El-Fasher, and review the governmental efforts in reconstruction, development, and voluntary return, according to SUNA.

The city of Bara in North Kordofan has also seen large-scale displacement after RSF forces seized control on Oct. 25 as part of their war with the Sudanese army. Authorities and organizations accused the RSF of killings and torture, allegations the force denies, claiming it does not target civilians.

Nearly 89,000 people were displaced from El-Fasher and its surroundings in North Darfur last month, according to IOM.

On Oct. 26, the RSF seized control of El-Fasher and committed massacres, according to local and international organizations, amid warnings that the assault could entrench the country’s geographical partition.

RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, acknowledged “violations” by his forces in El-Fasher, claiming to have formed investigation committees.

Out of Sudan’s 18 states, the RSF currently controls all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for parts of northern North Darfur, which remain under army control. The military still holds most areas across the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east, and center of the country.