(MENAFN) Foreign ministers from the G7 nations on Wednesday firmly denounced what they termed as “ethnically motivated” assaults carried out by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against defenseless civilians and humanitarian workers in El-Fasher and North Kordofan.

In a collective declaration issued after a two-day summit in Niagara, Canada, senior diplomats from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — together with the European Union’s High Representative — lamented the “devastating impact of this war on civilians, including the famine that has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.”

The statement emphasized, “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.”

Additionally, the ministers reaffirmed their backing for “diplomatic efforts underway to restore peace and security” and appealed to international actors to actively support these initiatives.

This declaration followed warnings from the United Nations, which stated that the humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate, while relief agencies report that access to conflict-affected areas remains severely hindered.

The brutal confrontation between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has reportedly claimed at least 40,000 lives and displaced roughly 12 million individuals, according to data from the World Health Organization.

Just last month, the RSF captured the capital of North Darfur state, El-Fasher, and faced accusations of mass killings.

The group currently holds control over all five states of the Darfur region out of Sudan’s 18 states, whereas the national army maintains authority over most of the remaining 13, including Khartoum.

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