Considering the ISC Statement Not Enough: UK Says the Siege of El Fasher Must End and Warns the RSF of the ICC

London – Sudanhorizon
Although the statement issued by the United Nations Security Council on Sudan on Wednesday was drafted by the United Kingdom and followed through until its adoption, the UK did not settle for this position. The British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, issued a separate statement on the same matter, calling on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to end the siege of El Fasher and hinting at supporting International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations.
In his statement, the British minister said his country had received “shocking reports of the recent attack by the Rapid Support Forces on the city of El Fasher, North Darfur, and its surroundings.” The statement added that in Abu Shouk camp for displaced persons, attacks carried out earlier this week had left at least 40 unarmed civilians dead – (the number has since risen to 57) – people who had already fled the violence in El Fasher.
The statement went on to say that as the fighting intensifies, roads out of El Fasher remain closed, trapping hundreds of thousands now facing famine. There are “widespread reports of atrocities” and the rapid spread of diseases, including cholera. It noted that those who managed to escape to camps such as Abu Shouk were already deprived of aid – and are now under attack.
The statement warned that “these assaults are not an isolated incident, but part of a consistent pattern of deliberate violence and brutality against civilians” by the RSF.
The British Foreign Office statement also pointed out that last month, the ICC Prosecutor’s Office confirmed there were reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been – and continue to be – committed in Darfur. It stressed that deliberate attacks on civilians constitute a clear violation of international law, and that the perpetrators responsible must be held accountable.

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