Geneva / Khartoum – February 26, 2026 – In a stark escalation of international alarm over Sudan’s devastating civil war, foreign ministers from Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom—known as the Sudan Core Group at the UN Human Rights Council—announced plans Thursday to form a dedicated international coalition aimed at preventing further atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.
The announcement, detailed in a joint statement released via the German Foreign Ministry, follows a damning UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission report that concluded RSF violence during the October 2025 takeover of El Fasher (North Darfur) bears the clear “hallmarks of genocide”. The report documented ethnically targeted mass killings, widespread sexual violence, torture, enforced disappearances, and deliberate starvation tactics against non-Arab communities, particularly the Zaghawa and Fur groups.
“The RSF-led violence in El Fasher constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity, and bears the hallmarks of genocide,” the Core Group ministers declared. “The risk of further genocidal violence remains acute.”
They emphasized that the report serves as a “call to action”, urging expanded enforcement of the UN arms embargo, unrestricted humanitarian access, civilian protection, and accountability mechanisms. The proposed coalition will unite like-minded states and regional bodies to coordinate prevention efforts and support justice initiatives for Sudanese victims.
Civilian Death Toll More Than Doubles in 2025
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reported Thursday that civilian fatalities in Sudan surged dramatically in 2025, with at least 11,300 confirmed deaths—more than 2.5 times the previous year’s toll—excluding missing persons and unidentified bodies. Türk attributed the spike to atrocities by both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), as well as their foreign backers.
“The continuous inflow of weapons fuels this horror,” Türk stated in Geneva, renewing calls for a nationwide arms embargo and urgent intervention to avert worse bloodshed.
The findings align with earlier UN and ICC assessments labeling RSF actions in El Fasher as war crimes and crimes against humanity, with genocidal intent inferred from coordinated ethnic targeting and public extermination rhetoric.
Symbolic Breakthrough: First UN Flight to Khartoum in Nearly Three Years
In a rare positive development amid the gloom, a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service flight landed at Khartoum International Airport on Thursday—the first since the war erupted in April 2023. UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown described it as a “big deal” for aid delivery to millions facing famine and displacement.
“I’d like to reiterate how pleased I am to have taken the first United Nations Humanitarian Air Service flight to Khartoum in three years,” Brown said upon arrival. “This is a very important event for the humanitarian community.”
The resumption could enable scaled-up aid to besieged and famine-hit areas, though ongoing fighting continues to block access in many regions.
Why This Matters: A Political Turning Point?
The Core Group’s push for a prevention coalition signals growing frustration with the international community’s limited response to Sudan’s crisis, now in its fourth year. With over 150,000 estimated total deaths, 12 million displaced, and famine confirmed in parts of Darfur and Kordofan, Western powers are shifting toward proactive diplomacy, sanctions pressure (especially on RSF backers like the UAE), and atrocity-prevention frameworks.
Critics argue the move comes late after El Fasher’s fall, but proponents see it as a potential model for collective action in forgotten conflicts. The coalition’s success will hinge on broader buy-in from the UN Security Council, African Union, Arab League, and key regional players.
As the war grinds on, the international community faces a stark choice: act decisively to halt the slide toward wider genocide—or risk complicity in one of the 21st century’s gravest humanitarian catastrophes.
🌍 WORLDNABD
Global Geopolitical Analysis Platform
🧭 The World’s Pulse
🔎 www.worldnabd.com