Ofure Akhigbe
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has condemned atrocities committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against civilians in al-Fashir, amid the escalating Sudan conflict that has devastated the country for more than two years.
Speaking in Doha at the opening of the Second World Summit for Social Development on Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim said: “I cannot conclude this address without pointing to our collective shock from the horror of the atrocities that have been committed in the city of al-Fashir in Sudan, and our deep condemnation of it.”
The Sudan conflict, which has pitted the RSF against the Sudanese army since April 2023, has plunged the country into chaos. The RSF recently captured al-Fashir, capital of North Darfur state, after an 18-month siege that cut off food and essential supplies. Reports from survivors and aid groups describe summary executions, massacres, sexual violence, looting, and forced displacements by RSF fighters.
Although the RSF denies committing atrocities, testimonies from fleeing residents, online videos, and satellite imagery reveal widespread devastation. On Tuesday, a UN-backed global hunger monitor confirmed famine conditions in al-Fashir and the southern city of Kadugli for the first time, underscoring the growing humanitarian toll of the Sudan conflict.
“Sudan has been living the horrors of this war for two-and-a-half years,” Sheikh Tamim said. “The time has come to stop it and to reach a political solution that guarantees the unity of Sudan, its sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”
Residents continue to flee al-Fashir, seeking refuge in overcrowded displacement camps in nearby towns with scarce resources. Fighting between the RSF and the army has also intensified in central Kordofan and other parts of the country.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the Sudan conflict is “spiralling out of control” and urged both sides to agree to an immediate ceasefire.
Since April 2023, the Sudan conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises — a situation that Qatar’s Emir said must end through dialogue and peace.