UN Chief Urges Sudan's Paramilitary RSF to End Siege of El Fasher
UN Chief Urges Sudan's Paramilitary RSF to End Siege of El Fasher
The Facts
1UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Gen. Mohammed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo, to halt its months-long siege of al-Fashir, his spokesman said over the weekend.
2The UN chief is said to be alarmed by reports that an all-out assault has been launched to capture the besieged capital of North Darfur. According to local sources, at least 14 people, including three children, were killed in the crossfire on Saturday.
The Spin
There's a good reason the talks over Sudan have failed in spite of the dire situation faced by the civilian population. Those involved in the peace process, from the Saudis to the Emiratis to the Americans, have a vested interest in the outcome of the conflict and aren't coming to the table with the purest of intentions. There will be no hope for negotiations unless the UN gets those with a geopolitical interest in the conflict to abstain from these mediations.