Sudan’s el-Fasher ‘a crime scene’ after RSF takeover: UN aid chief

The UN’s aid chief claims that Sudan’s el-Fasher has been transformed into a “crime scene” as it is pressed by the UN to gain access to the city after it fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last month.

The western Darfur region was described as “an absolute horror show,” according to Tom Fletcher, who recently wrapped up a trip there.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

In a campaign that rights organizations and witnesses claim included widespread sexual violence and kidnappings, the RSF seized control of the state’s capital, El-Fasher, in late October.

In a video, Fletcher stated, “I spent a week in Darfur, which is now the epicenter of human suffering in the world.”

According to the evaluations of numerous survivors, El-Fasher is essentially a crime location. We need to stop deliberate attacks on civilians and bring these crimes to justice, as I’ve heard so many stories of them.

Darfur is a truly terrifying movie.

If the world is prepared to take advantage of it, we have a window of opportunity.

Civilians must be safeguarded. Expanding access is necessary. The flow of weapons must be restricted. pic. Twitter.com/ZKACEMrCf

“Naked cruelty”

Fletcher’s remarks come shortly after the UN Human Rights Council ordered an investigation into “atrocities” committed in El-Fasher, which had fallen on October 26 from an 18-month siege.

As the council passed a resolution ordering the investigation, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated on Friday that “the international community has a clear duty to act.”

“There was too much pretense, performance, and little action,” the statement read. It must stand up to these atrocities, which are intended to systematically oppress and rule over a whole population.

Any such incidents, according to the RSF, are carried out by rogue actors, the organization claims. However, evidence suggests that the armed group committed numerous mass killings, according to the UN, human rights organizations, and other observers.

Hundreds of thousands of residents of El-Fasher are reportedly trapped and without access to aid, healthcare, and other essential supplies, according to UN officials.

More than 100 000 people have reportedly fled the city to nearby towns and displacement camps since the RSF seized control of El-Fasher from the Sudanese Armed Forces, according to the most recent UN figures.

While American researchers claim satellite images suggest RSF forces are burying bodies in mass graves, survivors have described seeing bodies lining the streets.

The paramilitary group has been expanding its presence eastward into the nearby Kordofan region, where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported “intensified air strikes, drone attacks, and heavy troop mobilization since early November.”

According to an update from UNHCR, residents of the towns of Babanousa, Dilling, and Kadugli have been besieged because their access to food, water, and health care is “roast deteriorating.”