Rubio calls for cutting off weapons to RSF, blames paramilitary for surging violence in Al Fasher

G7 ministers express support for diplomatic efforts to end the violence, calling on external actors to support those efforts.

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The bloody conflict between the army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced some 12 million.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for international action to cut off weapons to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, blaming the paramilitary for surging bloodshed.

"I think something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and support that the RSF is getting as they continue with their advances," Rubio told reporters on Wednesday as he left a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in Canada.

Foreign ministers of G7 countries have strongly condemned the "ethnically-motivated" attacks by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on unarmed civilians and aid workers in Al Fasher and North Kordofan.

In a joint statement following a two-day meeting in Niagara, Canada, the top diplomats of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US — along with the European Union's High Representative — deplored the "devastating impact of this war on civilians, including the famine that has led to the world's largest humanitarian crisis."

"We unequivocally condemn sexual violence. We urged the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to respect human rights, de-escalate, commit to an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and ensure rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance," the statement said on Wednesday.

The ministers also expressed their support for "diplomatic efforts underway to restore peace and security" and called on external actors to contribute to those efforts.

Thousands killed, millions displaced

It came as the UN warned that the situation in Sudan is worsening for civilians, while aid groups indicate that access to affected areas remains severely restricted by the conflict.

The bloody conflict between the army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced some 12 million, according to the World Health Organization.

Last month, the RSF seized North Darfur state’s capital, Al Fasher, and was accused of massacres. The group controls all five Darfur states out of Sudan’s 18 states, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states, including Khartoum.

Darfur makes up about one-fifth of Sudan's territory, but most of the country’s 50 million people live in army-held areas.