UN Demands End to al-Fashir Siege in Sudan

The United Nations Security Council has called for an immediate halt to the siege of al-Fashir by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and an end to all fighting in the area. The council's resolution also demands the withdrawal of fighters threatening civilian safety. The ongoing war in Sudan has resulted in a major displacement crisis.

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday demanded a halt to the siege of al-Fashir - a city of 1.8 million people in Sudan's North Dafur region - by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and an immediate end to fighting in the area.

The 15-member council adopted a British-drafted resolution that also calls for the withdrawal of all fighters that threaten the safety and security of civilians in al-Fashir, the last big city in the vast, western Darfur region not under RSF control.

War erupted in Sudan in April last year between the Sudanese army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating the world's largest displacement crisis. Top U.N. officials have warned that the worsening violence around al-Fashir threatens to "unleash bloody intercommunal strife throughout Darfur."