Erdoğan Pledges Support for Sudan as Displacement Crisis Deepens

As fighting continues across Sudan, regional and international actors are intensifying calls for a ceasefire. Displacement has surged, particularly following the Rapid Support Forces’ takeover of El Fasher.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters that diplomatic efforts will continue to ensure peace and security in Sudan:

“We cannot simply observe the situation. A plan must come first, then implementation. Turkey is assessing the support it can provide.”

Erdoğan stressed that the ongoing events weigh heavily on humanity’s conscience and called for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry announced that Minister Badr Abdel Ati spoke with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani by phone to discuss the situation in Sudan and the Gaza ceasefire. Abdel Ati emphasized the need for regional and international coordination to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire and initiate a political process that meets the aspirations of the Sudanese people. He also condemned the “atrocities and massacres” in El Fasher and called for unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.

On October 26, the Rapid Support Forces seized El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and carried out massacres against civilians, according to local and international reports. The Sudan Doctors’ Network stated that hundreds of bodies were collected, some buried in mass graves, others burned, calling this a systematic human rights violation and act of genocide.

Darfur Governor Mini Arko Minawi declared that the crimes committed by Rapid Support Forces leaders cannot be concealed. He said that Hemedti and his brothers, who ordered ethnic-based killings, must be held accountable. He also described the trial of Abu Lulu, a Rapid Support Forces commander in El Fasher, as a mere political show.

Regarding the displacement crisis, sources from Sudan’s Northern State reported that 57,000 people have fled from Darfur and Kordofan to Debba. Over 500 families from Bara in North Kordofan are being relocated to the main camp in El Afad. The four existing shelters in Debba currently accommodate thousands of displaced persons.

There are also reports of displacement from El Fasher toward Tawila, Kulbu, and Malit towns, with most refugees traveling on foot due to lack of transportation.

Military sources reported that the Sudanese army repelled drone attacks on neighborhoods in Damazin in southeastern Sudan. In southwestern Sudan, the army targeted Rapid Support Forces’ military positions in Nyala with drone strikes, hitting vehicles and supply points.

Since April 2023, the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands and displaced approximately 13 million people.

Erdoğan concluded:

“These events weigh heavily on humanity’s conscience. The conflict in Sudan can only be resolved through dialogue and peace.”