ISTANBUL 

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, expressed alarm on Sunday over reports of mass killings and rapes in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah state.

"The dreadful images coming from Al Gezira are alarming," Borrell wrote on X on acts allegedly carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"Massacres against civilians must stop, and perpetrators must be held accountable. The EU will continue to act so that justice can be served," he added.

UN official calls for civilian protection

Separately, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, voiced deep concern over the escalating violence in the region on Saturday.

"I am shocked and deeply appalled that human rights violations seen in Darfur last year—such as rape, targeted attacks, and mass killings—are being repeated," she said.

Emphasizing that attacks on civilians and infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, Nkweta-Salami stressed the urgent need to protect civilians.

War in Sudan

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, ongoing for over 18 months, follows a failed power-sharing transition after the 2019 ouster of Omar al-Bashir.

Efforts to broker peace have faltered, leaving over 20,000 dead and 11 million displaced. The UN warns Sudan faces one of the world’s worst displacement and hunger crises, with 25 million people in need of humanitarian aid.