DOHA: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for a halt to fighting in Sudan, warning that the crisis was rapidly deteriorating after paramilitaries overran a key city. Guterres urged the warring parties to “come to the negotiating table, bring an end to this nightmare of violence — now”. “The horrifying crisis in Sudan… is spiralling out of control,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the World Summit for Social Development in Doha.
Reports have emerged of executions, violence, looting, attacks on aid workers and abductions in and around El-Fasher, where communications remain largely cut off. “El-Fasher and the surrounding areas in North Darfur have been an epicentre of suffering, hunger, violence and displacement,” Guterres said. “And since the Rapid Support Forces entered El-Fasher last weekend, the situation is growing worse by the day,” he added. “Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped by this siege. People are dying of malnutrition, disease and violence.” Guterres also said there were “continued reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights”. — AFP
