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Tom Fletcher says those responsible for deliberate attacks on civilians in western Darfur region must face justice.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sudan\u2019s el-Fasher has been transformed into a \u201ccrime scene\u201d, the United Nations\u2019 aid chief says, as the UN pushes for access to the city after it fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last month.<\/p>\n In a social media post on Wednesday, Tom Fletcher \u2013 who recently wrapped up a visit to Sudan \u2013 described the western Darfur region as \u201can absolute horror show\u201d.<\/p>\n list of 4 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n The RSF seized control of el-Fasher \u2013 capital of North Darfur state \u2013 in late October in a campaign that rights groups and witnesses say involved mass killings, kidnappings, and widespread sexual violence.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had a week inside Darfur, which is now the epicentre of human suffering in the world,\u201d Fletcher said in a video.<\/p>\n \u201cEl-Fasher, based on the testimonies I heard from many survivors, is basically a crime scene. The deliberate attacks on civilians \u2013 and I heard so many stories of these \u2013 must stop and we want those who commit these crimes to face justice.\u201d<\/p>\n Darfur is an absolute horror show.<\/p>\n We have a moment of opportunity if the world is ready to seize it.<\/p>\n Civilians must be protected. Access must be expanded. Flow of arms must be limited. pic.twitter.com\/2ZKACEMrCf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tom Fletcher (@UNReliefChief) November 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Fletcher\u2019s comments come just days after the UN Human Rights Council ordered an investigation into \u201catrocities\u201d committed in el-Fasher, which had been under an 18-month siege when it fell to the RSF on October 26.<\/p>\n \u201cThe international community has a clear duty to act,\u201d UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Friday as the council passed a resolution ordering the probe.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has been too much pretence and performance and too little action. It must stand up against these atrocities, a display of naked cruelty used to subjugate and control an entire population.\u201d<\/p>\n The RSF has denied targeting civilians, saying any such incidents are carried out by rogue actors. But the UN, human rights groups, and other observers say evidence suggests that mass killings were committed by the armed group.<\/p>\n UN officials have called for greater access to el-Fasher, where tens of thousands of residents are believed to be trapped, cut off from aid, healthcare services, and other crucial supplies.<\/p>\n Since the RSF seized control of el-Fasher from the Sudanese Armed Forces more than 100,000 people have fled the city to nearby towns and displacement camps, according to the latest UN figures.<\/p>\n Survivors have described seeing bodies lining the streets while researchers in the United States said satellite images suggest RSF forces are burying bodies in mass graves.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the paramilitary group has been pressing eastward into the neighbouring Kordofan area, where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported \u201cintensified air strikes, drone attacks and heavy troop mobilization since early November\u201d.<\/p>\n Residents have been besieged in the towns of Babanousa, Dilling, and Kadugli \u201cwith access to food, water, and health services rapidly deteriorating\u201d, UNHCR said in an update<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cCivilian casualties are particularly high in Bara, Babanousa, Ghubeish, and Umm Krediem while families continue to be displaced both within Kordofan and across state borders to Khartoum, Northern, and White Nile States.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
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\u2018Naked cruelty\u2019<\/h2>\n