WASHINGTON

The US on Saturday condemned the mass atrocities committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher, North Darfur, urging all parties in Sudan to “pursue a negotiated path to end the suffering of the Sudanese people.”

“The United States condemns the reported mass atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, North Darfur,” the State Department wrote on the US social media company X.

It added that Washington is “gravely concerned” over the safety of civilians trapped in the city and those fleeing to neighboring areas amid escalating clashes.

“The RSF must stop engaging in retribution and ethnic violence; the tragedy in El Geneina must not be repeated,” it said.

“There isn't a viable military solution, and external military support only prolongs the conflict,” it added.

Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Security Forces (RSF) have been locked in a war that numerous regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed about 20,000 people and displaced over 15 million as refugees and internally displaced persons, according to UN and local reports.

Early on Saturday, the medical group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) expressed concern for the lives of thousands of civilians trapped inside El-Fasher following the RSF’s takeover of the city.

MSF said its teams in Tawila had prepared to deal with a mass influx of displaced people and wounded individuals after the city’s fall to the RSF.

On Wednesday, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) admitted that “violations” had occurred by his forces in El-Fasher, claiming that investigation committees had been formed.