UN chief urges end to 'nightmare of violence' in Sudan

DOHA - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for a halt to fighting in Sudan, warning that the crisis was rapidly deteriorating after paramilitaries overran a key city.

Guterres urged the warring parties to "come to the negotiating table, bring an end to this nightmare of violence - now".

"The horrifying crisis in Sudan... is spiralling out of control," he told reporters on the sidelines of the World Summit for Social Development in Doha.

At the end of October the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), at war with the Sudanese army since 2023, seized control of the strategic city of El-Fasher, following an 18-month seige.

Reports have emerged of executions, sexual violence, looting, attacks on aid workers and abductions in and around El-Fasher, where communications remain largely cut off.

"El-Fasher and the surrounding areas in North Darfur have been an epicentre of suffering, hunger, violence and displacement," Guterres said.

"And since the Rapid Support Forces entered El-Fasher last weekend, the situation is growing worse by the day,"he added.

"Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped by this siege. People are dying of malnutrition, disease and violence."

Guterres also said there were "continued reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights".

The UN chief also warned against violations of the ceasefire in Gaza that halted two years of war in the Palestinian territory.

Hamas reported fresh Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday, after Israel said three bodies it received from Gaza did not belong to hostages.

That came after Israeli attacks killed more than 100 people last Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run territory's civil defence agency. Prior to that, strikes on 19 October killed 45 people, the agency said.

Guterres on Tuesday said he was "deeply concerned about the continued violations of the ceasefire in Gaza.

"They must stop and all parties must abide by the decisions of the first phase of the peace agreement."