Sudan is calling on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to urgently investigate and take action against states and entities allegedly financing and supplying arms to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accused of committing atrocities and ethnic-based killings in west Sudan’s Darfur region.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Sudanese Embassy in Nairobi, Sudan’s Ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Osman Akasha warned that continued foreign support to the militia was prolonging the conflict and deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Last year, Kenya found itself in the crosshairs of Khartoum after the rebels were allowed to form a government-in-exile in Nairobi. The diplomatic row that followed led to Sudan suspending trade with Kenya and briefly freezing diplomatic relations. Other countries that have been implicated in the conflict are Unit Arab emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Russia and South Sudan,

Amb Osman appealed for strong international measures to halt the flow of weapons, funds and mercenaries to the RSF, saying global inaction had emboldened the group. The envoy insisted that countries that facilitate RSF’s operations must face accountability and sanctions, arguing that cutting off external support was essential to ending civilian suffering.

“Those fuelling the conflict by providing arms or financial aid must be held accountable. Cutting off these supply lines is essential to ending the suffering of innocent civilians,” he reiterated.

Further, Akasha stressed that the world must demonstrate genuine commitment to peace and humanity by enforcing existing arms embargoes and preventing further violations.

“If the international community truly wishes to demonstrate its commitment to peace and humanity in Sudan, it must act decisively to stop the flow of weapons, mercenaries, and financing to this militia,” he emphasized.

The envoy also cited the UN Security Council Panel of Experts report (S/2024/65), which confirms that the United Arab Emirates has supplied the RSF with drones and weapons in violation of the Darfur arms embargo.

He said the government of Sudan has lodged a formal complaint supported by evidence and warned that foreign involvement was deepening the destabilisation of Sudan.

According to the Akasha, the RSF’s backers have continued recruiting and transporting foreign fighters from neighbouring countries, a move he described as a deliberate attempt to extend the war and undermine peace efforts.

Notably, the envoy painted a grim picture of the situation in El Fasher, North Darfur, describing it as catastrophic with widespread reports of mass killings, sexual violence, and blockades preventing humanitarian aid delivery.

He reported that the Sudanese Armed Forces withdrew from the city on October 26 to prevent mass civilian casualties, but the RSF moved in and unleashed a campaign of pure extermination.

Further, Akasha referenced remarks by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Akyaa who described the situation at the UN Security Council as horrifying and additionally cited UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who said there were credible reports of large-scale, ethnically motivated atrocities.

Likewise, he criticised what he termed as the deafening silence of sections of the international community, arguing that failure to act amounts to a betrayal of Sudan’s vulnerable population.

Importantly, Akasha urged the United Nations, the African Union and international partners to impose sanctions on the militia’s sponsors, designate the RSF as a terrorist organisation, and prosecute its leaders for war crimes.

“Sudan will not bow to terrorism,” he proclaimed, maintaining that the country is committed to justice, peace and the dismantling of the militia.

As a documentary film said to contain evidence of RSF-led atrocities was screened during the briefing, the ambassador underscored that the conflict has severely disrupted critical services including health care, food supplies, and communication networks, worsening the humanitarian emergency.

He reiterated Sudan’s disappointment over the lack of regional and global support, pointing out that neighbouring countries and international actors had not taken meaningful steps to stop the violence.

Meanwhile, the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany have urged the RSF to immediately halt attacks on civilians and warned that militia commanders and foreign backers may face consequences for war crimes.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Mary Ndanu