UK Foreign Secretary Urges UN Security Council to Act on UN Fact Finding Mission Report Detailing Atrocities Committed by Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher, Sudan

The United Kingdom has delivered a powerful message to the international community after the release of a United Nations Fact Finding Mission report detailing horrific crimes committed in El Fasher, Sudan.

Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, called the findings “truly horrific,” highlighting systematic starvation, torture, killings, rape, and targeted ethnic violence carried out on a massive scale during the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) siege of the city.

The UN report, commissioned in November at the UK’s urging, sheds light on abuses that have shocked observers worldwide.

Cooper emphasized that the report’s findings would be presented at the UN Security Council, ensuring that the voices of Sudanese women who have endured unimaginable suffering are heard on a global stage.

Chilling Details of the Siege

The report paints a picture of daily horrors in El Fasher.

Civilians were reportedly forced to choose between starvation or consuming animal feed, children were subjected to mass sexual violence, and fleeing residents were ambushed and slaughtered.

Hospitals became scenes of further atrocity, with both patients and staff killed, while perpetrators openly boasted about their crimes on social media, some even calling for “extermination.”

“These accounts are unimaginable,” Cooper said, stressing the urgent need for international attention and intervention.

The scale and brutality described in the report underscore the severity of the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Darfur.

Calls for International Action

The UK is calling for immediate steps to hold perpetrators accountable.

Cooper highlighted the necessity of urgent international criminal investigations into the mounting evidence of atrocities, emphasizing justice for victims and an end to the cycle of violence.

The Foreign Secretary also condemned the ongoing arms flows into the region and called for enforcement of the UN arms embargo.

She criticized obstructions by both warring parties that have limited the Fact Finding Mission’s access, calling such interference “shameful and unacceptable.”

UK Takes Concrete Measures

In response to the findings, the UK has already sanctioned four senior RSF commanders accused of committing these heinous acts in El Fasher.

Cooper revealed that the UK, alongside the United States and France, has proposed that these commanders be designated at the UN level as well.

“These crimes must not go unanswered,” she said.

Despite international attention, the violence in Sudan continues.

Cooper expressed frustration at the global response, stressing that the Security Council must prioritize listening to the experiences of Sudanese civilians, especially women, rather than military leaders perpetuating the conflict.

What’s Next?

The UK, currently presiding over the UN Security Council, aims to use its position to push for a ceasefire, secure humanitarian access, and enforce accountability measures.

Immediate international criminal investigations, stricter enforcement of arms embargoes, and diplomatic pressure on warring parties are all expected to be pursued in the coming weeks.

The world’s response will be a critical test of its commitment to human rights in Sudan.

Summary

The UN Fact Finding Mission report on El Fasher reveals extreme atrocities, including starvation, rape, killings, and targeted ethnic violence.

The UK is calling for international criminal investigations, an end to arms flows, and a global push for ceasefire and humanitarian access.

Measures already include sanctions against senior RSF commanders, with efforts to elevate these at the UN level.

Secretary of State Yvette Cooper insists the Security Council must act decisively to ensure justice, accountability, and peace for the people of Sudan.