Calls to stop giving Sudan weapons

The United States has implored countries supplying weapons to Sudan’s warring parties to halt arms sales, warning history in the vast western Darfur region where there was a genocide 20 years ago “is repeating itself ”.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas greenfield said after an emergency closed meeting of the UN Security Council that El Fasher — the only capital in Darfur not held by paramilitary forces — is “on the precipice of a largescale massacre”.

She urged all countries to raise the threat that “a crisis of epic proportions is brewing”.

Britain’s deputy ambassador James Kariuki echoed her appeal saying: “The last thing Sudan needs is a further escalation on top of this conflict that’s been going on for a whole year.”

Thomas-greenfield said there are “credible reports” the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and their allied militias have razed many villages west of El Fasher and are planning “an imminent attack on El Fasher”.

“An attack on El Fasher would be a disaster on top of a disaster,” Thomas greenfield warned, saying it would put the two million people who live in El Fasher and 500,000 Sudanese who have sought refuge there at risk.

Thomas-greenfield urged the paramilitary forces, known as the RSF, to end their siege of El Fasher “and swear off any attack on the city”.

She urged the RSF and rival government forces to take urgent steps to de-escalate the violence and engage in direct negotiations, protect civilians and enable humanitarian access, especially to the 5 million Sudanese “on the brink of famine”.

Sudan plunged into chaos in midapril 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and the RSF paramilitary broke out into street battles in the capital, Khartoum. Fighting has spread to other parts of the country.

An attack on El Fasher would be a disaster on top of a disaster.

Linda Thomas-greenfield, US Ambassador