UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the war in Sudan is spiraling out of control, urging an immediate halt to the fighting and violence.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), reportedly backed by the UAE, recently seized El Fasher in Darfur after an 18-month siege, with reports emerging of civilians being shot, including in a maternity hospital.

The two-year civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF has caused over 150,000 deaths and displaced more than 14 million people, prompting the International Criminal Court to collect evidence of alleged mass killings, rape, and other crimes.

While the U.S. has proposed a three-month humanitarian pause leading to a permanent ceasefire and transition to civilian rule, the SAF is resisting, demanding RSF withdrawal from cities as a condition, The Guardian has reported.

Sudanese officials and Guterres emphasize that ending atrocities in El Fasher and protecting civilians must take priority before peace talks can progress.