NEW YORK: The UN Security Council held an urgent session following the capture of Al-Fashir in Sudan by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). During the meeting, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar, strongly denounced the RSF’s takeover, calling it “a disturbing preview of potential war crimes.”
He highlighted that the ongoing humanitarian violations in Darfur are deeply unacceptable and warned that escalating violence has endangered women, children, and vulnerable populations. “The sovereignty of Sudan and regional peace are under severe threat,” he cautioned.
Iftikhar urged the international community to hold the RSF accountable, advocating for a ceasefire, a political resolution to the conflict, and transparent judicial processes. He called for immediate global intervention to address the worsening crisis in Darfur and appealed to all parties to adhere to international humanitarian laws.
Pakistan also emphasized the need for an investigation into obstacles hindering aid delivery to Sudan and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting peace efforts and humanitarian assistance in the region.In a separate statement, the Security Council expressed grave concern about the recent violence, condemning the paramilitary RSF’s assault on Al-Fashir in North Darfur, and warned of the increasing risk of large-scale atrocities, including ethnically motivated violence.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the last operational hospital in Al-Fashir was attacked, with fears that hundreds have been killed after the city was overrun by RSF forces this week. The World Health Organization and a Sudanese official confirmed the raid, but verification remains difficult as communication lines with the city are severed and hospital staff have been unreachable since Sunday’s seizure of the city’s last Sudanese army stronghold.
The timing of the raid remains unclear, with officials and medical personnel blaming the RSF, though the paramilitary group denied the reports, claiming that all hospitals in Al-Fashir had been abandoned.
Since Sunday, over 36,000 residents have fled the city, according to the International Organization for Migration, but the fates of more than 200,000 remaining residents, caught during an 18-month RSF siege, remain largely unknown. Human rights organizations have expressed deep concern that a takeover of famine-afflicted Al-Fashir by the RSF could trigger mass revenge killings, with testimonies from escapees recounting reports of summary executions.
