TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has, in a phone conversation with his Sudanese counterpart Mohi El-Din Salem, condemned the recent attacks on, and the killing of civilians in the city of El Fasher, highlighting Tehran’s support for the territorial integrity of Sudan.

During the conversation, the top Sudanese diplomat presented a report on the latest developments in his country, appreciating Iran’s backing for Sudan’s legitimate government and solidarity with the people of his country. The two ministers also said the two countries are set to forge closer ties on different fronts.

Following the siege of some 1.2 million people for 18 months by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the group claimed to have seized the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)’s last stronghold in El Fasher in northern Darfur last Sunday, as the United Nations issued a stark warning over reports of atrocities by the RSF.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) previously issued Resolution 2736 in June 2024, demanding the lifting of the siege on El Fasher and the provision of humanitarian access to civilians, but failed to secure full implementation of the resolution.

Reports from the Sudan Doctors Network (SDN) and other sources indicate that the RSF has been responsible for summary executions, mass killings—including the targeting of patients and staff inside the Saudi Hospital—and sexual violence against women and girls.

Some 2,000 people had been killed by Wednesday, according to the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Furthermore, upwards of 26,000 people have fled El Fasher in just two days, the UN said. Those who attempt to flee are reportedly pursued and killed by the RSF forces, as the group controls city entrances.

Using satellite imagery and remote-sensing data, Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) reported that clusters of objects and ground discoloration are evidence of human bodies and pools of blood. The clusters and discoloration were not present in images taken before the RSF invaded, the report noted.

Images, on social media, of killing and violence in El Fasher have drawn strong condemnation from the general public worldwide, too.

Sudanese authorities have repeatedly said the RSF enjoys unconditional support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE)l, with Khartoum taking legal action against the country at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in April. The RSF is allegedly supported by the Israeli regime, too.

The fighting in Sudan erupted on April 15, 2023, between the national army led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

The conflict stems from a power struggle and disputes over integrating the RSF into the regular army following the 2021 coup. Despite multiple rounds of international mediation, the war has persisted for more than a year, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Since gaining independence in 1956, Sudan has witnessed chronic instability, including 20 coup attempts and two devastating civil wars that ultimately led to South Sudan’s secession in 2011.