The United Nations Secretary-General has issued a stark warning that the civil war in Sudan is descending into uncontrollable chaos, with the humanitarian situation deteriorating rapidly.
Speaking at an international summit, the UN leader described the crisis as “spiraling out of control,” highlighting the city of El Fasher in the Darfur region as an epicenter of extreme suffering. Recent military advances there have trapped hundreds of thousands of civilians under siege, facing severe hunger, disease, and violence.
The conflict, now in its second year, pits the national army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fall of El Fasher last week marked a strategic shift, giving the RSF control over all major urban centers in Darfur. This has sparked fears of a potential de facto partition of the country, though diplomatic sources insist there is little local appetite for such an outcome.
International efforts to broker peace face significant hurdles. A proposed ceasefire plan, developed with regional backing and promoted by the United States, envisions a humanitarian pause leading to a permanent cessation of hostilities and a transition to civilian governance. However, initial indications suggest strong resistance from the national army’s leadership.
Army officials have countered with demands for the RSF to withdraw from urban areas and be confined to camps—a condition seen as difficult to enforce. Simultaneously, Sudan’s diplomatic representatives are urging foreign governments to designate the RSF as a terrorist organization and halt weapons flows, allegations which a key regional power denies.
Criticism is mounting over ongoing atrocities. Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have begun collecting evidence of alleged mass killings and rape in El Fasher. Disturbingly, videos purportedly showing RSF fighters executing civilians, including within a hospital, have surfaced online.
Diplomats argue that with global attention finally intensifying on the two-year-old war, there may be new pressure on the warring factions and their external supporters to abandon maximalist demands. The UN chief’s urgent appeal is for immediate negotiations to “bring an end to this nightmare of violence.” Yet, with massacres reported to be continuing even as talks are proposed, the path to peace remains fraught, and the humanitarian catastrophe deepens by the day.