El fasher: On Monday, United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for urgent international action to stop the horrific atrocities taking place in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in western Sudan.
According to Qatar News Agency, in a statement, Turk said that atrocious crimes are being committed at the moment, adding that the Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) siege of El Fasher was itself a horrific crime. He added that people have been trapped in dire conditions, without food and with barely any access to water, noting that famine has been declared in some areas, with children dying of hunger.
Since the RSF took control of the city, Turk said his office had received evidence of mass killings, pointing out that those who try to flee these circumstances are shot at. On the question of genocide, Turk said that this matter is up to specialists to determine later, yet, action is needed right now regardless.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also warned of fears that the atrocities committed in El Fasher could be repeated in Kordofan, Sudan's oil-rich region, warning that signs are extremely alarming. Turk expressed hope that the international community would finally awaken, lamenting that all the warnings issued throughout the past year went unheeded.