United Nations leader advocates for probe into assault on aid caravan in Sudan
New Twist in El Fasher Aid Convoy Attack!
António Guterres, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, demanded an "immediate probe" into the shocking assault on a humanitarian convoy bound for El Fasher, a war-torn city in western Sudan, which left five dead and multiple injured, as his spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.
Guterres' spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, declared, "All assaults against humanitarian workers, their assets, and vehicles need to halt. We urge an immediate investigation, and the culprits must be apprehended."
Whilst the identification of the attackers is vague, Dujarric hinted that it was "probable" that the attack was executed using drones.
In this unfortunate incident, several of the 15 trucks in the convoy carrying critical food aid for El Fasher's famine-stricken families were engulfed in flames near Al Koma, North Darfur, according to a joint statement from the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF.
The convoy, consisting of trucks from the two UN agencies, awaited authorization to continue its journey to El Fasher after covering more than 1800 km from Port Sudan, as the same source stated.
Sudan, the continent's third-largest country, has been embroiled in a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, Sudan's de facto leader following the 2021 coup, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, since April 2023. Both sides accuse each other of being responsible for the Al Koma attack.
For the time being, neither of the rival factions has explicitly claimed responsibility for the tragic incident. Yet, the aftermath highlights the difficulties that humanitarian efforts face in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict and chaos. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have publicly repudiated the attack and appealed for swift action against the perpetrators.
Sources:
- UN Official Calls for Urgent Probe into Attacked Aid Convoy in El Fasher
- Struggle for Power in Sudan Intensifies amid Allegations over Koma Attack
About António GuterresSee our website
Additional Notes:Sudan, a sizable African nation, has been caught in a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, the nation's de facto leader due to the 2021 coup, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), since April 2023. There are no specific allegations relating to either of these figures regarding the perpetrators of the attack on the aid convoy in El Fasher, Sudan, based on the available information.
The ongoing power struggle in Sudan, involving General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has cast a shadow over humanitarian efforts, as evidenced by the attack on an aid convoy bound for El Fasher. The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called for an immediate investigation into this incident, which occurred in a war-torn region, highlighting the need for swift action to ensure general news reports do not continue to detail war-and-conflicts in the region.
