UN warns of rising civilian harm and displacement in North Darfur
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Summary
The UN press office said fighting in North Darfur has intensified, displacing nearly 2,700 people after recent attacks and triggering reports of dozens of civilian casualties; the UN called for protection of civilians and adherence to international humanitarian law.
At a United Nations press briefing on Feb. 26, the UN spokesperson said fighting in North Darfur has intensified and is causing mounting harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure. The International Organization for Migration reported nearly 2,700 people were displaced after attacks on Mysteriatown in the Keb Kababia locality, and a local group, the Sudan Doctors Network, reported 28 civilians killed and 39 injured.
"We call again for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and for the parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson reiterated the UN’s regular appeals for accountability and noted that fact‑finding commissions and other human‑rights mechanisms play an important role in establishing responsibility, but added that such processes take time. When asked about a report alleging the "threshold of genocide" had been reached in El Fasher, the spokesperson said determinations of genocide fall to competent legal authorities and not to the secretary‑general.
The briefing flagged mounting humanitarian needs and the need for protection of displaced people and access for relief organizations. No new UN peacekeeping mandates or Security Council decisions were announced at the briefing. The UN continued to call for restraint, access for humanitarian actors and steps to prevent further civilian harm.
