WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday strongly condemned Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for a recent assault in al-Jazira state reportedly killed over 120 people and urged the paramilitary to immediately halt the violence.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized Washington’s firm stance on the issue, stressing that the US “will continue to impose costs” on those responsible, in reference to recent sanctions against a prominent paramilitary leader.
“The United States condemns these attacks in the strongest terms and calls on the RSF to halt violence against civilians immediately,” Miller told reporters.
“This heinous assault is only the latest in a war that has persisted for far too long,” Miller remarked, urging both the RSF and Sudanese army to end the ongoing brutal conflict.
Sudan’s health minister said on Monday that at least 124 people had been killed when the RSF attacked al-Sariha in al-Jazira state. The United Nations and local medical groups report a widespread wave of violence across east-central Gezira province, marked by mass killings and rampant sexual violence.
The ongoing 18-month war in Sudan began in April 2023, fueled by a power struggle between the Sudanese army and the RSF as the country attempted a transition to civilian rule. The conflict has since escalated into the world’s largest displacement crisis, forcing over 11 million people from their homes, including three million who have sought refuge in neighboring countries.
On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, addressing the UN Security Council, condemned the “nightmare of violence, hunger, and displacement” devastating Sudan. He cited reports of mass atrocities, warning that the escalating violence could destabilize neighboring regions from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa.
Guterres also highlighted the grave humanitarian crisis, stating that up to 750,000 people in North Darfur face “catastrophic food insecurity” and famine conditions, especially within displacement camps.
Guterres expressed horror at the RSF’s ongoing attacks in North Darfur’s capital, El Fasher, where many displacement sites are situated. These camps, now facing confirmed famine, shelter some of the most vulnerable populations.
Nearly 25 million people across Sudan, or half the country’s population, urgently require humanitarian aid, according to UN estimates. International aid efforts, however, are severely limited by the ongoing hostilities.
The UN chief called on Sudan’s warring factions to agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities. He stressed the importance of accountability for those violating international humanitarian laws, warning that Sudan is on the verge of becoming “a nightmare of mass ethnic violence”.
