UK, Germany, Jordan urge immediate ceasefire in Sudan after reported Darfur atrocities

The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Jordan have jointly condemned the reported atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region and called for an immediate ceasefire, following alarming reports of mass killings and sexual violence in the city of al-Fasher.

Speaking at the Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain on Saturday, November 1, the ministers described the situation in Sudan as “apocalyptic,” warning that the international community was failing to address one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

According to United Nations officials, fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have stormed al-Fasher — the last major city in Darfur still held by government troops — killing more than 450 people in a hospital and carrying out ethnically targeted attacks against civilians. Witnesses and satellite imagery suggest widespread massacres and destruction across the city, although the RSF denies the allegations.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said reports from Darfur in recent days point to “truly horrifying atrocities,” including mass executions and the use of rape as a weapon of war. “No amount of aid can resolve a crisis of this magnitude until the guns fall silent,” she said.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the situation as “absolutely apocalyptic,” while Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the crisis in Sudan “has not received the attention it deserves,” calling for urgent international action to halt the violence.

The assault on al-Fasher, reported earlier in the week, marks one of the bloodiest phases in Sudan’s civil war, now entering its third year. Witnesses said RSF fighters went house to house killing civilians, as satellite images revealed vast areas stained red, which analysts believe indicate scenes of mass executions.

The ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023 after a power struggle between Sudanese Armed Forces commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), has killed over 40,000 people and displaced more than 14 million, according to the UN.

Aid groups warn that the true death toll could be far higher, with famine and disease spreading rapidly across the country. Despite growing international concern, Sudan remains largely cut off from humanitarian assistance as fighting intensifies and atrocities continue in Darfur and beyond.