UN Leaders Condemn 'Horrifying' Mass Killings in El Fasher Amid Escalating Sudan Crisis

United Nations leaders have issued strong condemnations regarding the mass killings unfolding in El Fasher, Sudan, describing the situation as "horrifying" and a "new and particularly bloody phase" in the ongoing civil war, according to The Guardian on October 31, 2025. The UN Security Council specifically criticized the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for atrocities, including summary executions and arbitrary detentions, following their capture of the North Darfur capital. This grave escalation has prompted urgent international calls for civilian protection and an immediate end to hostilities, as reported by Democracy Now!.

delegfrance.org reported, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Ama A. Pobee, addressed the UN Security Council on October 30, 2025, stating that "no one is safe in El Fasher" despite commitments to protect civilians. She highlighted credible reports of mass killings, summary executions during house-to-house searches, and the absence of safe passage for civilians attempting to flee the besieged city. Pobee also noted that external support, including the flow of weapons and fighters, continues to fuel the desperate situation in Sudan, as detailed by ReliefWeb.

The fall of El Fasher to the RSF on October 26, 2025, after an 18-month siege, marks a significant and devastating shift in the conflict, according to the International Crisis Group. This strategic city was the last stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Darfur, and its capture has led to widespread fears of ethnic cleansing and further atrocities. The UN human rights office warned on October 31, 2025, that the reported atrocities could amount to "numerous crimes under international law," as stated by Anadolu Ajansı.

theguardian.com noted, Humanitarian organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Women, have reported catastrophic conditions, with hundreds of thousands trapped without essential supplies. The WHO condemned the reported killing of over 460 patients and companions at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher on October 28, 2025, highlighting the collapse of the already-fragile health system. UN Women expressed deep alarm over attacks against women and girls, including killings, rape, and sexual slavery, as reported on October 31, 2025.

The civil war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, between the SAF and RSF, has plunged Sudan into chaos, creating the world's largest displacement crisis, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) on October 29, 2025. More than 12 million people have been displaced, and over 30 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, facing severe food insecurity and disease outbreaks. The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan warned in June 2025 that the war is intensifying with devastating consequences for civilians.

democracynow.org reported, International bodies and aid groups are urgently calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, unimpeded humanitarian access, and accountability for those responsible for violations of international law. France, for instance, strongly condemned the RSF's offensive and urged both parties to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law, as reported on October 31, 2025. The global community faces immense pressure to act decisively to prevent further suffering and potential regional destabilization, as noted by ReliefWeb.

• Background to the Conflict: The Sudanese civil war began on April 15, 2023, stemming from a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as "Hemedti". This conflict followed a 2021 coup that cemented military rule and a subsequent breakdown in negotiations to integrate the RSF into the national army, as detailed by the Council on Foreign Relations. The war has since spread across the country, marked by shifting territorial control and widespread human rights abuses.

• delegfrance.org noted, Strategic Importance of El Fasher: El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, held immense strategic significance as the last major city in the Darfur region not under RSF control and the final stronghold of the SAF in the area. Its fall on October 26, 2025, after an 18-month siege, gives the RSF control over all five Darfur states, raising serious concerns about the potential de facto partition of Sudan along east-west lines, according to the International Crisis Group. The battle for El Fasher was one of the most intense confrontations of the war, as reported by CBS News.

• Humanitarian Catastrophe and Displacement: The conflict has triggered an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with over 12 million people displaced since April 2023, making it the world's largest and fastest displacement crisis, according to the International Rescue Committee. Over 30 million people, more than half of Sudan's population, require humanitarian assistance, facing extreme levels of food insecurity, with famine declared in multiple areas. The World Food Programme warned on October 23, 2025, that funding shortfalls are severely hampering aid efforts, despite reaching 13.5 million people this year.

• theguardian.com reported, Allegations of War Crimes and Ethnic Targeting: Reports from various UN agencies and human rights groups indicate widespread and serious human rights violations, including mass killings, summary executions, rape, sexual slavery, and arbitrary detentions, primarily attributed to the RSF. The UN human rights office cited "horrendous accounts" of such atrocities in El Fasher and Bara, with satellite imagery and videos suggesting ethnically targeted killings of non-Arab communities, as reported by The Guardian and Anadolu Ajansı. The UN Human Rights Council's Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan reported in September 2025 that both parties have violated international human rights and humanitarian law, with most violations amounting to war crimes.

• International Response and Mediation Efforts: The international community, including the UN Security Council, has repeatedly called for a cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and unhindered humanitarian access. However, mediation efforts, such as those by the US-led "Quad" initiative (comprising Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the US), have struggled to achieve breakthroughs. External support from various international actors, with divided alliances, is reportedly fueling the conflict, complicating peace efforts and deepening the crisis, as noted by the Wilson Center.

• democracynow.org noted, Impact on Vulnerable Populations: The conflict has disproportionately affected women, children, and the elderly, who face heightened risks of violence, malnutrition, and disease. UN Women highlighted on October 31, 2025, that close to 300,000 women and girls were trapped in El Fasher, enduring siege, deliberate starvation, and horrific sexual violence. The destruction of infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, has left millions without access to essential medical care, contributing to outbreaks like cholera, according to the IRC and WHO.

• Future Implications and Calls for Accountability: The fall of El Fasher and the ongoing atrocities risk igniting further intercommunal tensions and deepening ethnic polarization, with severe regional implications, particularly for communities along the Sudan-Chad frontier, as warned by ReliefWeb on October 31, 2025. Urgent calls for accountability for war crimes and violations of international law are mounting, with organizations like CIVIC and France emphasizing that there must be no impunity for these serious violations. The international community is urged to use all levers of influence to stop the violence and ensure justice for the victims.