UN Security Council condemns deadly RSF attacks in Darfur, demands accountability
April 18, 2025 (PORT SUDAN/UNITED NATIONS) – The UN Security Council strongly condemned recent attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s North Darfur, demanding accountability amid reports that the violence killed hundreds of civilians.
In a press statement issued by Council President Jérôme Bonnafont of France, members expressed deep concern over escalating violence in and around El Fasher.
The Council denounced repeated RSF attacks in recent days targeting the city and the nearby Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps for internally displaced persons. These attacks reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 400 civilians, including children, and at least 11 aid workers, the statement said.
“They called for RSF to be held accountable for these attacks,” the statement explicitly noted.
Recalling its Resolution 2736, the Security Council reiterated its demand that the RSF halt the siege of El Fasher and called for an immediate stop to fighting and de-escalation in the area.
Council members urged all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law, Resolution 2736, and commitments under the Jeddah Declaration. They repeated the call for accountability for the RSF and all perpetrators of attacks on civilians and human rights violations in Sudan.
The Council also stressed the need for all parties to protect humanitarian personnel and assets and called for safe, unhindered aid access throughout Sudan according to international law and guiding principles.
Marking the two-year anniversary of the conflict, the Council expressed deep concern over its impact, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and good-faith political dialogue.
Council members urged UN member states to refrain from external interference and reminded all parties and states to comply with the Sudan arms embargo. The Security Council reaffirmed its strong commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
Sudan govt calls UN statement ‘insufficient’
Sudan’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged the UN Security Council’s statement concerning the El Fasher attacks, according to a statement issued on Frirday.
Khartoum welcomed the council’s direct condemnation of the RSF militia for attacking displacement camps, the demand for an immediate end to the siege of El Fasher, and calls for accountability and respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, the ministry said.
However, the government contended that such statements were insufficient and disregarded by the RSF. It argued that the paramilitary, which it termed “terrorist”, only responds to tangible consequences.
The ministry urgently called for “effective and deterrent punitive measures” against both the RSF leadership and its unnamed “regional sponsor,” accusing the latter of enabling the ongoing violence.
This call stems from the government’s assertion that the RSF consistently defies international demands by escalating attacks on displacement camps and tightening the blockade on vital humanitarian aid to El Fasher.
The Ministry described these actions as part of a “genocide campaign” against Darfur communities, allegedly overseen by the militia’s sponsor. It added that only concrete steps, not just words, could enforce UNSC Resolution 2736 and uphold the principle of no impunity for the atrocities being committed.