African Leaders Condemn RSF Assault on Al-Fashir, Call for Urgent Ceasefire

African and regional leaders condemn the RSF assault on Al-Fashir, Sudan, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access, and accountability amid mass civilian displacement and killings (image source)

ADDIS ABABA – Regional leaders and multilateral bodies have condemned the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) assault on Al-Fashir, Sudan’s last government-controlled city in Darfur, calling for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access amid reports of mass atrocities and civilian executions.

The African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and several heads of state have issued statements expressing alarm over the RSF’s military campaign, which has reportedly displaced over 300,000 civilians and led to the death of humanitarian icon and former MP Siham Hassan.

“The situation in Al-Fashir is catastrophic,” said AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. “We call on all parties to cease hostilities and allow humanitarian corridors to be established.”

The RSF claims to have captured the Six Infantry Division base of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), effectively dismantling organized resistance in North Darfur. However, satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts suggest widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and IDP camps.

IGAD, which has been mediating Sudan’s broader conflict since 2023, said the RSF’s actions in Al-Fashir violate international humanitarian law and threaten regional stability. The bloc has called for an emergency summit to address the crisis.

“Sudan’s conflict is no longer internal; it is destabilizing the entire Horn of Africa,” said IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu.

Neighboring countries including Chad, South Sudan, and Ethiopia have expressed concern over refugee flows and cross-border insecurity. Chad’s Foreign Minister Mahamat Zene Cherif warned that the violence could spill over into eastern Chad, where thousands of Darfur refugees are already sheltering.

“We are preparing for a new wave of displacement,” Cherif said. “The international community must act before this becomes a regional disaster.”

Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has not issued a formal statement, but diplomatic sources say Harare supports AU-led mediation and is monitoring the situation closely. Zimbabwe has historically maintained non-aligned positions in African conflicts but has called for peace and stability in Sudan at previous AU summits.

Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have urged the AU and UN to deploy observers and impose sanctions on RSF leaders implicated in war crimes. The execution of Siham Hassan has intensified calls for accountability.

“This is a textbook case of impunity,” said HRW Africa Director Mausi Segun. “The RSF must be held accountable for crimes against civilians.”

The UN Security Council is expected to convene this week to discuss the Sudan crisis, with proposals for targeted sanctions, arms embargoes, and referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC) under review.