UN warns of 'atrocities,' 'horror' in Sudan as RSF advances

New York: UN officials warned on Thursday that large scale atrocities were underway in Sudan s Kordofan region as paramilitary forces advanced, whil...

New York: UN officials warned on Thursday that "large-scale atrocities" were underway in Sudan's Kordofan region as paramilitary forces advanced, while residents in El-Fasher, a key city in the neighboring Darfur region, were being subjected to mass "horror." El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur to fall to Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries was "already the scene of catastrophic levels of human suffering (but) has descended into an even darker hell," said the UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher. The capture of El-Fasher comes after more than 18 months of brutal siege and has sparked fears of a return to the ethnically targeted atrocities of 20 years ago.

There had been "credible reports of widespread executions after Rapid Support Forces fighters entered the city," Fletcher said.

"We cannot hear the screams, but -- as we sit here today -- the horror is continuing. Women and girls are being raped, people being mutilated and killed with utter impunity."

Fletcher warned that the killing was not limited to Darfur and that there was bloodshed underway in Kordofan province.

"Fierce fighting in North Kordofan State is driving new waves of displacement and endangering the humanitarian response, including around the state capital, El Obeid," Fletcher told the UN Security Council.