The UN Security Council has demanded that Sudanese paramilitary forces call off their eight-week siege of El Fasher, a city in Darfur region where fighting has sparked genocide concerns. The 15-member council yesterday adopted a British-drafted resolution, with 14 votes in favour, while Russia abstained. The security council has called for an immediate halt to the fighting and withdrawal of all troops from the city.

 

The resolution called on all parties to allow civilians who wish to leave El Fasher to do so and remove obstacles to humanitarian access. The UN said, more than 1,30,000 residents have fled the city due to fighting between April and May. El Fasher is the last major urban centre in Darfur that remains in the hands of Sudan’s army. The army has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for more than a year.