THE United Nations security council condemned on Tuesday the attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s Kordofan.

The security council also called for an immediate end to the nearly three-year-old conflict, which increasingly appears to be a proxy war for nearby countries.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is accused of supporting the RSF while Egypt and Saudi Arabia are said to be backing the Sudanese military. Egypt, the UAE and the Saudis have all denied being involved.

But the council said that it had “deep concerns” over escalating violence across Sudan, including Darfur and Kordofan states.

In a statement, the security council slammed the repeated drone attacks against non-combatants, civilian facilities and humanitarian workers, including “multiple attacks” on the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Thousands of civilians have been killed since tensions between the Sudanese military and the RSF spread into violent confrontation on April 15 2023.

Millions of people have been displaced by the fighting with famine hitting large parts of the country. The UN has described Sudan as the world’s largest humanitarian disaster.

Figures from the WFP say that at least 21.2 million people or 41 per cent of the population are facing acute food shortages and 12m people have been forced to flee their homes.

Earlier this week the RSF raided the North Darfur town of Misteriha, killing at least 28 people and injuring 39, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.

The security council also blasted the RSF for what it called the “continued assault and destabilisation in the Kordofan region.”

Its statement said it “strongly condemned all forms of violations and abuses committed against the civilian population.

“Council members condemned reports of arbitrary detention and conflict-related sexual violence and stressed that such acts may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

The council also highlighted the reported atrocities committed by the RSF in el-Fasher in North Darfur state.

The RSF is accused of carrying out “systematic killing, mass displacement and summary executions.”

The council said it was alarmed at repeated drone attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian workers.

It said: “Council members reiterated that deliberate attacks against humanitarian personnel, their premises and assets may constitute war crimes.”

The UNSC said it was calling “on all parties to the conflict to respect and protect humanitarian personnel, as well as their premises and assets in accordance with their obligations under international law,” as well as safe unhindered humanitarian access routes.

“Starvation must not be used as a weapon of war,” it said.