The resolution calls on the Sudanese military and the RSF to ensure the protection of civilians and seek an immediate end to the violence.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has approved a resolution demanding that Sudan’s Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stop the siege of el-Fasher in the North Darfur region and end fighting in the area.
The resolution, passed in a 14-0 vote with Russia abstaining on Thursday, expressed “grave concern” about the escalating violence and reports that the RSF is carrying out “ethnically motivated violence” in el-Fasher.
The conflict in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, which is loyal to General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo.
The violence has killed at least 14,000 people and displaced more than 10 million others, according to UN estimates.
UN Security Council ADOPTS resolution demanding that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) lift the siege of El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan, and the withdrawal of all fighters threatening the safety of civilians
Voting result
In favor: 14
Against: 0
Abstention: 1 (Russia) pic.twitter.com/6xhBKdIYzI– UN News (@UN_News_Centre) June 13, 2024
Thursday’s resolution demanded that the RSF and government forces ensure the protection of civilians, including allowing those who wish to leave el-Fasher to do so.
Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in el-Fasher – the last major urban center in the vast western Darfur region that is not under RSF control.
The UN Security Council measure called for de-escalation around el-Fasher and the “withdrawal of all combatants who threaten the safety of civilians.”
He called on the RSF and the military “to seek an immediate cessation of hostilities, leading to a sustainable resolution of the conflict, through dialogue”.
He also called on all nations to put an end to interference that fuels conflict and instability rather than peace efforts.
“Crucial roads leading out of el-Fasher are blocked, preventing civilians from reaching safer areas, while also limiting the amount of food and other humanitarian aid reaching the city,” said Othman Belbeisi, regional director of the International Organization for Migrations to the Middle East and North Africa.
Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, welcomed the resolution on Thursday.
“Today’s resolution alerts the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces that the world is watching,” Charbonneau wrote in a social media post. “Warns of impending famine, especially in Darfur, and calls for accountability for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.”
Earlier this week, International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan called for evidence for his office’s investigation into alleged war crimes in Darfur.
“I am extremely concerned about allegations of widespread international crimes committed in el-Fasher and the surrounding areas,” Khan said in a video statement on Tuesday.
He added that the investigation “appears to reveal an organized, systematic and profound attack on human dignity.”
In 2009, the ICC issued arrest warrants for former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir on charges including genocide allegedly committed in Darfur between 2003-2008.
The RSF was born from the Popular Defense Forces militias, commonly known as Janjaweed, mobilized by al-Bashir against non-Arab tribes in Darfur.
The Sudanese military removed al-Bashir from power in 2019 after months of anti-government protests.
The promised transition to full civilian rule in the post-Bashir era did not materialize, and the Sudanese military staged a coup d’état against the civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in October 2021, leading to his resignation in early 2022.
Weeks before violence between the military and the RSF broke out last year, Sudan’s leaders appeared ready to sign an agreement to return the country to its democratic transition, but the deal was delayed due to outstanding disagreements.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
