UN Warns Of 'New Wave Of Atrocities' As Fighting Surges In Sudan's Kordofan

UN Warns Of Escalating Violence In Kordofan

The United Nations' top human rights official issued a stark warning on Thursday about Sudan, saying he fears "a new wave of atrocities" as intense fighting spreads into the oil-rich Kordofan region.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk urged "all states with influence over the parties to take immediate action to halt the fighting, and stop the arms flows that are fueling the conflict." He also called for the restoration of telecommunications so lifesaving assistance can be delivered and reliable information can reach civilians.

"It is truly shocking to see history repeating itself in Kordofan so soon after the horrific events in el-Fasher. We must not allow Kordofan to become another el-Fasher," Türk said.

Clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan's military, who have been at war for more than two years, recently shifted to Kordofan after the RSF seized el-Fasher in neighboring Darfur. According to the U.N., the wider conflict in Sudan has killed about 40,000 people and produced what the agency calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 14 million people displaced. Some rights groups say the death toll may be higher.

The RSF’s takeover of el-Fasher, the military’s last stronghold in Darfur, was accompanied by reports of executions, rapes and other sexual assaults. Rights organizations say more than 100,000 people have fled el-Fasher since October and that thousands are feared trapped or killed while attempting to escape.

Türk reported that at least 269 people were killed in the town of Bara in North Kordofan since the end of October, victims of aerial strikes, artillery shelling and summary executions, though he cautioned the toll may be higher because telecommunications and internet outages have hindered verification.

The U.N. statement said an RSF drone strike on Nov. 3 killed 45 people, mostly women, in a tent in el-Obeid in North Kordofan. It also said Sudanese military aerial strikes on Saturday killed at least 48 people, mostly civilians, in Kauda in South Kordofan.

The RSF was driven out of the capital Khartoum earlier this year. For months the fighting has concentrated in Kordofan, a region vital for supply routes; the battle is now focused around the city of Babanusa in West Kordofan province.

The RSF said it captured the Sudanese army’s 22nd Division headquarters in Babanusa and released videos it said show fighters inside the facility. The Associated Press could not independently verify that claim, and the Sudanese military made no public comment.

The Sudan Doctors' Network, a coalition of medical professionals across the country, warned that ongoing clashes endanger dozens of women and children who sought refuge at the army headquarters last year. The group appealed for their protection and safe transfer "without harming them or detaining them arbitrarily on accusations of having relatives in the army," and demanded humanitarian access to the city.

Türk also warned that Kadugli and Dilling — towns in South Kordofan already stricken by famine and reportedly under siege by RSF and allied forces — face particular peril. The U.N. migration agency estimates that more than 44,000 people have fled Kordofan because of the recent escalation.

International Response Needed: Türk urged states with influence over the warring parties to press for an immediate halt to hostilities, stop arms flows, restore communications, and allow unfettered humanitarian access to protect civilians and prevent further atrocities.