US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged the international community to take urgent action to halt the flow of weapons to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) amid reports of mass killings in El-Fasher.
Speaking at the conclusion of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada, Rubio accused the RSF of committing widespread atrocities, including murder, rape, and sexual violence against civilians.
The Sudanese army has long accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying the RSF with weapons and mercenaries through other African nations — allegations the UAE has consistently denied.
The RSF has been locked in a brutal conflict with the Sudanese army since April 2023, following a power struggle between their leaders that plunged the country into civil war.
El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur still under army control, fell to the RSF last month after an 18-month siege, giving the group control of the entire region.
Rubio condemned the violence, describing the attacks on women and children as “horrifying atrocities” that must end immediately. “We’re going to do everything we can to bring it to an end, and we’ve encouraged partner nations to join us in this fight,” he said.
He dismissed the RSF’s claim that rogue elements were responsible for the killings, insisting the attacks were systematic and coordinated. Rubio also expressed concern that thousands of residents who had tried to flee El-Fasher were now either dead or too weak to escape due to starvation.
The top US diplomat stressed that the RSF depended heavily on external arms supplies and urged countries involved to stop providing weapons.
In a joint statement, G7 ministers also condemned the escalating violence in Sudan, describing the ongoing conflict between the army and the RSF as the cause of “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.”
