UN Secretary-General, António Guterres has warned that the war in Sudan is “spiraling out of control” after a paramilitary force seized the Darfur city of el-Fasher.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Guterres offered a stark warning about El-Fasher. “El-Fasher and the surrounding areas in North Darfur have been an epicenter of suffering, hunger, violence and displacement,” Guterres said.
“And since the Rapid Support Forces entered El-Fasher last weekend, the situation is growing worse by the day.
“Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped by this siege. People are dying of malnutrition, disease and violence. And we are hearing continued reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights.”
Antonio Guterres
He added that there also were “credible reports of widespread executions since the Rapid Support Forces entered the city.”
UN officials have warned of a rampage by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces(RSF) after it took over the city of El-Fasher, reportedly killing more than 450 people in a hospital and carrying out ethnically targeted killings of civilians and sexual assaults.
The RSF has denied committing atrocities, but testimonies from those fleeing, online videos and satellite images offer an apocalyptic vision of the aftermath of their attack. The full scope of the violence remains unclear because communications are poor in the region.
The RSF besieged el-Fasher for 18 months, cutting off much of the food and other supplies needed by tens of thousands of people. Last week, the paramilitary group seized the city.
On October 30, 2025, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee told Ambassadors at the UN Security Council that the fall of El Fasher “a significant shift in the security dynamics,” warning that the implications for Sudan and the wider region are “profound.”
“The risk of mass atrocities, ethnically targeted violence and further violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, remains alarmingly high.”
Martha Pobee
In his remarks, Guterres asserted that it was important to “gather all the international community and all those that have leverage in relation to Sudan to stop the fighting.”
“One thing that is essential to stop the fighting is to make sure that no more weapons come into Sudan.
“We need to create mechanisms of accountability because the crimes that are being committed are so horrendous.”
Antonio Guterres
Guterres Calls For Immediate Ceasefire
Moreover, Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in the two-year conflict that has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Guterres urged the warring parties to “come to the negotiating table, bring an end to this nightmare of violence — now”.
“It is clear that we need a ceasefire in Sudan. We need to stop this carnage that is absolutely intolerable.”
Antonio Guterres
The war between the RSF and the Sudanese military has been tearing apart Sudan since April 2023. According to UN figures, more than 40,000 people have been killed but aid groups say the true death toll could be many times higher.
The fighting has driven more than 14 million people from their homes and fueled disease outbreaks. Meanwhile, two areas of Sudan are enduring a famine that is at risk of spreading.
Guterres statement echoes a recent statement from Germany, Jordan and United Kingdom.
The Foreign Ministers of Germany, Jordan and the United Kingdom jointly called on Saturday for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Sudan, describing the situation there in stark, apocalyptic terms after a paramilitary force seized the last major city in the East African nation’s Darfur region.
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