UN Human Rights Chief Warns of Dire Conditions for Civilians in El Fasher

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk raised alarms on Friday about the critical humanitarian crisis in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. He reported that civilians remain trapped in the city and are unable to escape, facing severe atrocities including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and ethnic conflict.

In a statement from Geneva, Turk noted that those who have managed to flee encounter extreme violence along their escape routes, describing these areas as a "theater of unimaginable brutality." He emphasized that conditions in El Fasher are worsening rapidly, necessitating urgent international intervention to halt the violations and ensure safe passage for civilians.

Turk's remarks follow increasing reports of massacres attributed to the Rapid Support Forces since their takeover of El Fasher last October. Their leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as "Hemeti," has acknowledged some "excesses" and claimed that investigation committees would be formed, yet human rights organizations report that violations persist unabated.

The United Nations has called for an immediate cessation of military support to the conflicting parties and urged the international community to take decisive action to protect civilians, particularly in light of escalating violence in Darfur and Kordofan, raising concerns about potential atrocities spreading to other regions.