The European Union, with the majority of its members, along with Britain and Canada, on Wednesday, in a joint statement signed by 28 foreign ministers and officials, denounced possible “war crimes or crimes against humanity” in Sudan, and immediately called for an end to the fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis that has forced 14 million people to flee.

Published on: 02/18/2026 - 21:46

The European Union, with a majority of its countries, along with Britain and Canada, expressed its condemnation on Wednesday of “war crimes or crimes against humanity” that may have been committed in Sudan, which is ravaged by a conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, in a joint statement.

The statement signed by the foreign ministers of 28 countries, a European Commission, and a Swiss official concerned with humanitarian affairs said: “We urgently renew our call on the Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese Armed Forces, and the militias allied with each party to immediately cease hostilities.”

Background of the Sudanese conflict

Since April 2023, Sudan has witnessed a bloody war between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and both sides are accused of committing atrocities.

The statement noted that violations "may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be the subject of prompt and impartial investigations."

The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of 24 European Union countries, in addition to the foreign ministers of Canada, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway and New Zealand, as well as a European commissioner and a Swiss official concerned with humanitarian affairs.

The statement continued: "We urgently renew our call to the Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese Armed Forces, and the militias allied with each party to immediately cease hostilities."

The recent escalation and humanitarian crisis

Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights accused Sudan's Rapid Support Forces of committing "war crimes and possible crimes against humanity."

On Wednesday, the signatories of the statement denounced the “recently recorded dangerous escalation in attacks by drones and by air” targeting civilians and health and humanitarian personnel. The statement pointed out that the Darfur and Kordofan regions remain "the epicenter of the most dangerous humanitarian crisis in the world."

The war in Sudan resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations. In its most violent battles, the conflict forced about 14 million people to flee to areas inside or outside the country.

France 24/AFP

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