UN Urges Immediate Sudan Ceasefire After Sudanese Hospital Massacre

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urgently called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan following reports that over 460 people were killed in attacks on the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El-Fasher, which was one of the last functioning medical facilities in the region. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohammad Hamdan Daglo, recently seized El-Fasher, the last army stronghold in Darfur, raising fears of renewed ethnically targeted violence reminiscent of past atrocities. The World Health Organization condemned multiple assaults on the hospital, including the killing of health workers and abduction of medical staff. Despite efforts by international powers to mediate a ceasefire since the conflict reignited in April 2023, fighting persists, with RSF controlling much of western Sudan and the national army maintaining dominance in other regions, including Khartoum. The conflict has effectively partitioned Sudan, complicating prospects for national unity, with RSF establishing parallel administrations in some cities. Daglo has vowed to unify Sudan either through peace or war, underscoring the grave challenges ahead.