United Nations leaders have issued stark warnings about what they describe as systematic mass killings of civilians in Sudan's North Darfur region, with disturbing reports emerging of entire families being targeted in their own homes.
The UN's top humanitarian official, Joyce Msuya, expressed profound alarm at the escalating violence in El-Fasher, where hundreds of civilians are reported to have been killed in recent attacks. "The scale and brutality of what we're witnessing is deeply disturbing," Msuya stated in an emergency briefing.
A City Under Siege
El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur not under control of the Rapid Support Forces, has become the epicentre of what aid workers are calling one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Witness accounts describe paramilitary groups moving through neighbourhoods, conducting what appear to be coordinated attacks on civilian populations.
"We're receiving consistent reports of people being pulled from their homes and executed in the streets," one UN official revealed, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
International Response Stalls
Despite repeated warnings from humanitarian organisations, the international community has struggled to mount an effective response. The UN Security Council remains divided on appropriate measures, while aid access continues to be severely restricted by ongoing fighting and bureaucratic obstacles.
Refugee camps around El-Fasher are reportedly overflowing with newly displaced families, many arriving with accounts of witnessing neighbours and relatives being killed. Medical facilities, already operating with limited supplies, are struggling to cope with the influx of casualties.
A Pattern of Violence Returns
The current violence bears chilling similarities to the atrocities committed in Darfur two decades ago, raising fears that the region could be descending into another period of systematic ethnic violence. Human rights monitors report that specific communities are being systematically targeted, though verification remains challenging due to communication blackouts and access restrictions.
UN officials are urging immediate action to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian corridors can operate safely. "The world cannot stand by while history repeats itself in Darfur," Msuya emphasised in her appeal to the international community.
