Sudan’s El Fasher Under Siege: UN Rights Chief Calls for Civilian Protection
The United Nations is deeply concerned about the escalating violence in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in Sudan. At the beginning of May 2025, the UN Human Rights Chief issued a strong appeal for greater protection of civilians trapped in the city, which is currently under siege.
What’s Happening in El Fasher?
El Fasher, already a haven for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by previous conflicts, is now caught in the crossfire of a renewed and intensified conflict. While the specific groups involved in the fighting aren’t explicitly mentioned in the news excerpt, it’s understood that the conflict stems from the ongoing power struggle in Sudan since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). El Fasher is a strategic location, and gaining control of it would significantly impact the overall balance of power in the country.
Why is the UN so worried?
The UN’s concern stems from the dire consequences of the fighting on the civilian population. Here’s a breakdown of the key issues:
- Besieged City: El Fasher is effectively surrounded, making it difficult for aid organizations to deliver essential supplies like food, water, and medicine. This puts a huge strain on the already limited resources available within the city and pushes the population closer to starvation and disease.
- Increased Violence: The fighting itself is causing widespread destruction and loss of life. Homes are being destroyed, essential infrastructure is damaged, and civilians are caught in the crossfire.
- Displacement Crisis: With the fighting intensifying, even more people are being forced to flee their homes in search of safety, adding to the already massive displacement crisis in the region.
- Human Rights Violations: In conflict zones, human rights abuses often escalate, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, sexual violence, and arbitrary arrests. The UN is worried about the potential for these abuses to worsen in El Fasher.
- Risk of Genocide: Due to the ethnic dimensions of the conflict in Darfur, and the history of genocide in the region, there are serious concerns about the potential for further atrocities to be committed against specific communities.
What is the UN calling for?
The UN Human Rights Chief is urging all parties involved in the conflict to:
- Protect Civilians: This is the top priority. All sides must take immediate steps to avoid harming civilians, including ending indiscriminate attacks and respecting international humanitarian law.
- Allow Humanitarian Access: Aid organizations need to be able to reach those in need with essential supplies. All parties must guarantee safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian workers.
- Respect Human Rights: All parties must uphold human rights standards and prevent abuses such as extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and arbitrary detention.
Why is this important?
The situation in El Fasher is a stark reminder of the devastating human cost of conflict. The UN’s appeal highlights the urgent need for a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan. Without immediate action to protect civilians and allow humanitarian access, the situation in El Fasher could deteriorate further, leading to even greater suffering and potential for further atrocities. The world is watching, and the parties involved have a responsibility to protect the lives and dignity of the Sudanese people.
Sudan: UN rights chief appeals for greater protection of civilians in besieged El Fasher
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The following question was used to generate the response from Google Gemini:
At 2025-05-01 12:00, ‘Sudan: UN rights chief appeals for greater protection of civilians in besieged El Fasher’ was published according to Africa. Please write a detailed article with related information in an easy-to-understand manner. Please answer in English.
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