Darfur governor asks UN to replace Adre crossing, citing military use
March 30, 2026 (GENEVA) – Minni Arko Minawi, Governor of the Darfur region and leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement, on Monday called on the United Nations to replace the Adre border crossing, alleging it is being used for military purposes by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the United Arab Emirates.
The Adre crossing, which links Chad with West Darfur—currently under RSF control—is a primary artery used by the UN and humanitarian agencies to deliver aid to the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
During a meeting in Geneva with Gemma Connell, acting head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Minawi urged a review of the crossing’s status. According to the Sudan News Agency, Minawi claimed the RSF and the UAE have diverted the route for military logistics, creating additional security and logistical hurdles.
Minawi stated that more effective alternative crossings exist and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to facilitating aid flow, including streamlining logistics and opening new routes. He highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, citing RSF violations against civilians and attacks on relief convoys as major obstacles to aid distribution.
Connell emphasized OCHA’s commitment to the crisis but warned that a severe funding gap is limiting the scale of the response. The World Food Programme (WFP) recently began cutting rations due to this shortfall, reducing the number of beneficiaries from 11.5 million in 2025 to 8.5 million this year.
The scale of the disaster is staggering, with 33.7 million people in Sudan, including 17.3 million children, requiring humanitarian assistance. UN agencies warn that 825,000 children face severe acute malnutrition, while 3.4 million are at risk of deadly diseases.
In a separate meeting with Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Minawi called for intensified efforts to access RSF detention centres and reach the forcibly disappeared.
The RSF holds tens of thousands of military and civilian detainees, notably in the “Deqris” prison near Ed Damazin in South Darfur. Reports indicate dozens have died in custody due to torture, hunger, and lack of medical care.
Minawi also briefed the ICRC on the situation in El Fasher, North Darfur, describing it as “extremely dangerous” following the RSF takeover. He accused the RSF of systematic forced displacement and demographic engineering, noting that the city faces a total collapse of health services and acute shortages of food and water.
The UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission reported on Feb. 19, 2026, that the RSF committed genocide during its capture of El Fasher last October. The UN Human Rights Office documented over 6,000 deaths in the first three days of that assault, with thousands more killed during the subsequent occupation and attempted flight from the city.