Rights groups urge US official to prioritise lifting El-Fasher siege
September 21, 2025 (CAIRO) – Rights groups on Sunday submitted a memorandum to US Presidential Advisor Massad Boulos, urging him to make lifting the siege on El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, a top priority for resolving the Sudan crisis.
Boulos is currently touring the region to engage the African Union in the efforts of the Quad mechanism, which includes the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, to end the conflict in Sudan.
Sadiq Ali, a member of the Sudanese Group for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms, told Sudan Tribune that “the group and the Darfur Bar Association sent a memorandum to Massad Boulos calling on him to include lifting the siege on el-Fasher as a top priority in any US and international effort to resolve the Sudan crisis.”
He explained that the memorandum called for using the United States’ influence within the UN Security Council and the United Nations to impose immediate obligations on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies to stop the shelling and lift the siege.
The humanitarian situation in el-Fasher has deteriorated under the siege imposed since April 2024, reaching an unprecedented level after the RSF destroyed markets, health facilities, and most water sources.
The RSF has committed gross violations in El-Fasher, including ethnically motivated killings, mass murder, forced displacement, sexual violence, and the destruction of livelihoods.
Al-Sadiq noted that the memorandum urged Advisor Massad Boulos to send a clear political message that the continued siege of civilians is a direct threat to international peace and security, which would open the door for stronger measures.
He stressed the need to activate humanitarian protection tools through safe corridors and airdrops for civilians under international UN supervision, similar to what has been done in previous humanitarian crises.
The memorandum warned that Darfur is on the brink of sliding into open civil wars if swift action is not taken, as the circle of violence will expand to include all of Sudan, turning the Sudanese crisis into a regional and global threat that transcends its geographical borders.
The memo mentioned the continued systematic shelling of residential neighbourhoods, hospitals, and places of worship, the latest of which occurred on September 19, when more than 70 people were killed during dawn prayers at the al-Safia mosque in the Al-Daraja neighbourhood of el-Fasher.
It affirmed that these acts, according to international law, constitute crimes against humanity and genocide, requiring a decisive international stance.
Sadiq Ali Hassan said that the Quad’s statement overlooked the implementation of urgent measures to protect civilians, which makes political efforts vulnerable to failure if not accompanied by concrete practical decisions.
The Quad mechanism has proposed ending the Sudan crisis through a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire, and initiating a political process that leads to civilian rule.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Kamil Idris announced his intention to raise the issue of the siege of el-Fasher in North Darfur state at the United Nations General Assembly in the coming days.