(United Nations) The UN Secretary General is “very concerned” about the fighting that has been taking place for several days between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries in el-Facher, Darfur, one of his spokespersons said on Monday .
Antonio Guterres is “alarmed by reports of the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas, causing dozens of casualties, significant displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure,” Farhan Haq added in a statement. .
He is particularly concerned about the fate of the inhabitants of the capital of the state of North Darfur, including 800,000 displaced people, who are already facing “the threat of famine and the consequences of more than a year of war “, he stressed, repeating his call for an immediate ceasefire and “unhindered” humanitarian access.
He therefore calls on the parties to allow civilians to take refuge in safer areas.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been in the grip of a war between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his former deputy turned rival, General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo.
For several weeks, the international community has been warning of imminent carnage in el-Facher, the last major town in Darfur not to be in the hands of the RSF, and until now relatively spared.
Clashes began on Friday and continued this weekend, with planes bombing the east and north of the city (west) and exchanges of artillery fire, according to residents reached by telephone by AFP.
During Friday alone, fighting between the army and the RSF left at least 27 dead and 130 injured, the UN said on Sunday.