UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply alarmed by a reported drone strike that killed at least 30 civilians in Sudan's South Darfur state, his deputy spokesman said Friday.
The attack reportedly took place approximately 150 km southwest of the state capital, Nyala, on Monday, said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman.
The attack comes as the toll of escalating violence on civilians across the Darfur and Kordofan regions, particularly through increasing drone strikes, continues to grow rapidly. Further civilian casualties were reported in another strike on the town of Kutum in North Darfur on the same day, said Haq.
The secretary-general condemns all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and demands that all parties abide by their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, across all areas of active conflict in Sudan, said the spokesman.
Haq said that as the 1,000-day mark of the Sudan civil war approaches, the secretary-general reiterates his call on all states with influence over the parties to take immediate action and use their leverage to compel an immediate halt to the fighting and stop the arms flows that are fueling the conflict.
Guterres also calls on the parties to agree on an immediate cessation of hostilities and to resume talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process, said Haq, adding that the United Nations stands ready to support genuine steps to end the fighting in Sudan and chart a path toward a durable peace.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces launched attacks on government targets in April 2023. The conflict has led to the killing of tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. ■