UN voices concern about reports of RSF assault on El-Fasher, urges ceasefire across Sudan

According to his spokesperson, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is 'gravely alarmed' by reports of a full-scale assault by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on the city of El-Fasher. He has called on the leader of the RSF, Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo, to order an end to the attack.

Guterres also warned that any escalation could spread the fighting along intercommunal lines throughout Darfur. El-Fasher has been besieged by paramilitaries for months, and according to residents, most homes in the city's south have been completely destroyed.

The UN Secretary General insisted that a ceasefire is urgently needed throughout the country, as the humanitarian situation grows increasingly dire on the ground. Since the conflict broke out between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in April last year, millions of residents have been displaced.

The fighting has also left around half of the country's population facing acute hunger. Sudan is also dealing with multiple disease outbreaks, including cholera.