WASHINGTON DC: The United States on Friday condemned Sudanese paramilitary forces’ “horrific” attack that killed more than 100 people in a village as it urged accountability and a resumption of ceasefire talks.
“The United States condemns the horrific attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on unarmed civilians,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
“Attacks on civilians throughout Sudan must stop now. There can be no military victory in this war,” he said in a statement.
The RSF, which has been at war with the regular army since April 2023, on Wednesday attacked the central village of Wad Al-Noura in Al-Jazira state with heavy artillery, according to democracy activists.
The activists shared footage of what it said was a mass grave and gave a death toll of at least 104.
The United States and Saudi Arabia brought together the warring forces for talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah shortly after the outbreak of the violence, producing a temporary humanitarian ceasefire agreement that quickly collapsed.
US diplomats have been pushing for months for a return to talks but have made little headway.
“Both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces must ensure the protection of civilians and hold accountable anyone within their ranks who is responsible for war crimes or violations of the Jeddah Declaration,” Miller said.
US demands accountability over ‘horrific’ Sudan village attack
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US demands accountability over ‘horrific’ Sudan village attack
- RSF, which has been at war with the regular army since April 2023, attacked central village of Wad Al-Noura
UN peacekeepers say Israeli forces fired on them in southern Lebanon
- “Yesterday, peacekeepers in vehicles patrolling the Blue Line were fired upon by IDF soldiers in a Merkava tank,” UNIFIL said
- It said that both the peacekeepers and the Israeli tank were in Lebanese territory
BEIRUT: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said Wednesday that Israeli forces fired on its peacekeepers a day earlier in the country’s south, urging Israel’s army to “cease aggressive behavior.”
It is the latest such incident reported by the peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, where UNIFIL acts as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon and has been working with Lebanon’s army to support a year-old truce between Israel and militant group Hezbollah.
“Yesterday, peacekeepers in vehicles patrolling the Blue Line were fired upon by IDF (Israeli army) soldiers in a Merkava tank,” a UNIFIL statement said, referring to the de facto border.
“One ten-round burst of machine-gun fire was fired above the convoy, and four further ten-round bursts were fired nearby,” the statement said.
It said that both the peacekeepers and the Israeli tank were in Lebanese territory at the time of the incident and that the Israeli military had been informed of the location and timing of the peacekeeping patrol in advance.
“Peacekeepers asked the IDF to stop firing through UNIFIL’s liaison channels... Fortunately, no one was injured,” it said.
Last month UNIFIL said Israeli soldiers shot at its troops in the south, while Israel’s military said it mistook blue helmets for “suspects” and fired warning shots.
In October, UNIFIL said one of its members was wounded by an Israeli grenade dropped near a UN position in the country’s south, the third incident of its kind in just over a month.
“Attacks on or near peacekeepers are serious violations of (UN) Security Council Resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said on Wednesday, referring to the 2006 resolution that formed the basis of the November 2024 truce.
“We call on the IDF to cease aggressive behavior and attacks on or near peacekeepers working to rebuild stability along the Blue Line,” the peacekeepers said.
Israel carries out regular attacks on Lebanon despite the truce, usually saying it is targeting sites and operatives belonging to Hezbollah, which it accuses of rearming.
It has also kept troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.
On Saturday, a UN Security Council delegation visiting Lebanon urged all parties to uphold the ceasefire.
It emphasized that the “safety of peacekeepers must be respected and that they must never be targeted,” after gunmen on mopeds attacked UNIFIL personnel last week.
