US warns of imminent RSF mass atrocities in Sudan's North Kordofan

The United States on Monday warned of the risk of imminent mass atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters massing around El-Obeid in Sudan's North Kordofan state, according to a State Department statement. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Washington has seen alarming indications that the paramilitary group is planning attacks that would further worsen the country's catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

"There are alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent, further worsening Sudan's already catastrophic humanitarian crisis," Pigott said in the statement. He added that the RSF and its allied forces must immediately cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further suffering.

Calls for humanitarian access

Pointing to the "intolerable toll" the war has taken on the Sudanese people, the State Department called on all belligerents to uphold their responsibilities to protect civilians. "The United States calls on the belligerents to facilitate safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access, uphold their responsibilities to protect civilians, and take immediate steps to prevent further atrocities," the statement said. "There is no military solution to this conflict," it added, urging the warring parties to pursue a negotiated settlement without preconditions.

Sudan's humanitarian crisis

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary into the military. The war has triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands and displacing nearly 13 million people. The US said it would continue working with international partners and Sudanese stakeholders to advance a humanitarian truce and secure unhindered access for aid organizations.