The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution calling on Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to cease their siege of el-Fasher in the North Darfur region and to end the fighting there.

The resolution, passed with a vote of 14-0 and one abstention by Russia on Thursday, voiced "grave concern" over the escalating violence and reports of the RSF engaging in "ethnically motivated violence" in el-Fasher.

The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, loyal to General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo.

The violence has resulted in at least 14,000 deaths and more than 10 million displacements, as per UN estimates.

The resolution on Thursday demanded that the RSF and government forces protect civilians, including allowing safe passage for those who wish to leave el-Fasher.

Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in el-Fasher, the last major urban area in the large, western Darfur region not under RSF control.

The UNSC measure also urged de-escalation around el-Fasher and "the withdrawal of all fighters that threaten the safety and security of civilians."

It called for "an immediate cessation of hostilities," leading to a durable resolution to the conflict through dialogue.

Furthermore, the resolution appealed to all countries to cease interfering in ways that fuel conflict and instability instead of promoting peace.

"Crucial roads out of el-Fasher are blocked, preventing civilians from moving to safer areas and restricting food and humanitarian aid from reaching the city," said Othman Belbeisi, the International Organization for Migration's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Louis Charbonneau, UN Director at Human Rights Watch, commended the resolution. "Today's resolution signals to the Sudanese Armed Forces & Rapid Support Forces that the world is watching," Charbonneau stated on social media.

Earlier this week, Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), called for evidence to support an investigation into alleged war crimes in Darfur.

"I am profoundly concerned by reports of widespread international crimes in el-Fasher and its environs," Khan expressed in a video statement on Tuesday.

He added that the investigation indicates "an organized, systematic, and profound attack on human dignity."

In 2009, the ICC issued arrest warrants for former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges including genocide in Darfur between 2003-2008.

The RSF evolved from the Popular Defense Forces militias, also known as Janjaweed, mobilized by al-Bashir against non-Arab tribes in Darfur.

The Sudanese military ousted al-Bashir in 2019 following months of anti-government protests.

A transition to full civilian rule did not follow in the post-Bashir era, culminating in a military coup against Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's civilian government in October 2021, leading to Hamdok’s resignation in early 2022.

Weeks before the violence between the military and RSF erupted last year, Sudan's leaders were close to signing an agreement to restore the country's democratic transition, but the deal was postponed due to unresolved conflicts.