On Tuesday 28 October, the European Union called on “all parties” to the conflict in Sudan to de-escalate, following Sunday’s capture of the capital of North Darfur, El Fasher, by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who had been laying siege to the town for a year and a half. The paramilitaries now control the entire Darfur region.
“The seizure of El Fasher [...] by the Rapid Support Forces marks a dangerous turning point in the war and threatens to further worsen an already dire humanitarian situation. Civilians being targeted based on their ethnicity underscore the brutality of the RSF”, denounced the High Representative of the Union, Kaja Kallas, and the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, in a joint statement.
Ms Kallas and Ms Lahbib called on the RSF to protect civilians, humanitarian workers, local stakeholders and journalists. They also urged the warring parties to respect international law and honour their commitments under the ‘Jeddah Declaration’ of May 2023. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)