Guterres terms Sudan war a scandal, accuses RSF of atrocities

December 11, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has described the ongoing conflict in Sudan as a “scandal,” demanding an immediate end to the fighting and explicitly accusing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing atrocities.

In a special interview with Al Arabiya TV, the UN chief issued a stark condemnation of the war, characterizing it as “terrible.” His comments represent a significant sharpening of tone regarding the conduct of the warring factions.

“The war in Sudan is terrible and must stop immediately,” Guterres said. He went on to confirm that the RSF has “committed atrocities” against civilians, a charge that aligns with numerous reports from human rights organizations documenting the conflict.

Despite the dire situation, Guterres noted that diplomatic channels remain open. He stated that the United Nations is currently engaging and “speaking with all parties” involved in the conflict in an effort to broker a solution to the crisis.

The conflict in Sudan erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemetti.

Over the past two years, the violence has triggered one of the world’s largest displacement crises, forcing millions of Sudanese to flee their homes for safer states within Sudan or across borders into neighbouring countries such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.

The war has been marked by reports of ethnic violence, particularly in the Darfur region, sexual violence, and the indiscriminate shelling of residential areas.