Sudan's War Spirals Out of Control Amidst El Fasher Atrocities, UN Warns

The civil war in Sudan is "spiraling out of control," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday, emphasizing the urgent need to prevent more weapons from entering the country. Speaking in Qatar, Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in the two-year conflict, which has become one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, as reported by The Washington Post on November 4, 2025.

This dire warning follows the recent seizure of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the end of October 2025, after an 18-month siege. The takeover has led to the displacement of over 81,000 people from El Fasher and surrounding villages, according to un migration officials on November 5, 2025.

Reports from El Fasher detail horrifying atrocities, including mass killings, sexual violence, and widespread executions. The Sudan Doctors Network stated that RSF forces "cold bloodedly killed everyone they found inside the Saudi Hospital," including patients and staff, with some reports indicating nearly 500 deaths at the facility, as highlighted by The BMJ on November 5, 2025.

The humanitarian situation has deteriorated sharply, with hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped and facing severe shortages of food, water, and medical care. Aid agencies are struggling to deliver life-saving assistance, with a senior official at UNHCR in Sudan noting on November 5, 2025, that insecurity continues to block access.

Further exacerbating the crisis are credible reports of drone attacks and the discovery of mass graves. On November 5, 2025, satellite images analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab appeared to show mass burials in El Fasher, raising grave concerns about the scale of violence.

The UN Secretary-General stressed the critical need for accountability, stating that "the crimes that are being committed are so horrendous." He urged the international community to use its leverage to stop the fighting and ensure no more weapons flow into Sudan, as reported by Arab News on November 4, 2025.

The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, has resulted in a staggering human cost, with over 11 million people displaced and millions facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, according to un figures from March 2025.

• Escalation in El Fasher and Humanitarian Catastrophe: The fall of El Fasher to the RSF in late October 2025 marks a critical turning point, consolidating RSF control over Darfur and intensifying the humanitarian crisis. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on November 5, 2025, that over 81,000 people were displaced from El Fasher and its surroundings since October 26, adding to the millions already uprooted. The city had been under siege for over 500 days, with residents enduring starvation tactics and brutal attacks, as detailed by the Norwegian Refugee Council on November 4, 2025.

• Widespread Atrocities and War Crimes Allegations: Reports from El Fasher include summary executions, sexual violence, looting, and attacks on aid workers, with the UN Human Rights Office confirming "numerous" such reports on October 28, 2025. The Sudan Doctors Network stated that over 1,500 people were killed in three days during the RSF's final push for control of El Fasher, describing the situation as a "true genocide," according to The BMJ on November 5, 2025. Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court are collecting evidence of alleged mass killings, rape, and other crimes in the city, The Guardian reported on November 4, 2025.

• Mass Graves and Drone Warfare: Evidence of mass graves has emerged from multiple locations, including El Fasher, where satellite images analyzed on November 5, 2025, appeared to show mass burials, according to the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab. The Sudanese army also reported finding mass graves for hundreds of civilians in Omdurman in May 2025, as stated by Anadolu Ajansı. Drone attacks by the RSF have become a significant threat, with incidents like a strike on a funeral gathering in North Kordofan killing at least 40 civilians on November 3, 2025, and another on a displacement camp in South Kordofan killing 12 people, including children, as reported by Xinhua on November 1, 2025.

• Deepening Humanitarian Crisis and Funding Shortfalls: Sudan is grappling with the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 14.5 million people displaced, including nearly 4 million who have fled to neighboring countries, according to reliefweb in May 2025. Over 30 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance, and more than 21 million face acute food insecurity, with famine confirmed in parts of North Darfur and the Nuba Mountains, as reported by un News in March 2025. Despite staggering needs, the humanitarian response is severely underfunded, with only a fraction of the required $4.2 billion received as of March 2025, UN News noted.

• Roots of the Conflict and Key Players: The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, pits the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). Britannica explains that the RSF evolved from the Janjaweed militia and grew in power after fighting Sudanese rebel groups, eventually challenging the official military. Tensions escalated over plans to integrate the RSF into the SAF, leading to the current devastating war.

• International Calls for Action and Accountability: The international community, including the EU, US, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt (the Quad), has called for an immediate ceasefire and a political dialogue. The UAE, while denying supplying weapons to the RSF, condemned attacks on civilians as a "dangerous escalation" and a crime against humanity on November 5, 2025. However, the UN Secretary-General and other bodies have stressed the need for concrete accountability mechanisms for the horrific crimes committed, with the UK Foreign Secretary on October 27, 2025, stating that the RSF leadership will be held accountable for their forces' actions.