Johannesburg: South Africa on Thursday condemned 'abhorrent attacks deliberately targeting' civilians and essential infrastructure, including hospitals in Sudan.

According to Anadolu Agency, a Foreign Ministry statement highlighted that these persistent acts of impunity have resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe, leaving over half of Sudan's population in dire need of life-saving aid. The statement urged both the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to 'immediately and unconditionally' cease hostilities, adhere to international humanitarian and human rights laws, protect medical personnel, allow safe passage for civilians, and ensure 'rapid, safe, and unhindered' humanitarian access across the conflict-ridden country.

The statement emphasized the non-negotiable legal and moral obligations regarding the protection of civilians and essential infrastructure. South Africa welcomed an emergency meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council on Sudan, describing the AU's intervention as crucial for restoring peace and stability in the region.

The Foreign Ministry also called on all 'external actors' involved in the crisis to comply with international law and to cease supporting, supplying, or enabling the armed groups. South Africa expressed its readiness to support a credible, inclusive process aimed at achieving a just peace and re-establishing a civilian-led political transition in Sudan. The statement concluded by asserting that the sovereignty and democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people must be respected.

The paramilitary RSF has been engaged in intense fighting with the army, having seized El-Fasher on Sunday after a prolonged siege since May 2024. Reports have surfaced of mass killings, systematic ethnic cleansing, and torture of civilians by the group in the city. The United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO), and several Arab countries have condemned the RSF's actions in El-Fasher, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The civil war between the army and the RSF, ongoing since April 2023, has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of over 15 million people. The WHO reported that more than 1,200 health workers and patients were killed, and 416 injured in 185 verified RSF attacks since the conflict began.