UN chief says Sudan is on the brink of ‘full-scale civil war’

CAIRO — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says Sudan is on the brink of a “full-scale civil war” as fierce clashes between rival generals continue unabated today in the capital, Khartoum.

He warns that the war between the Sudanese military and a powerful paramilitary force is likely to destabilize the entire region, according to Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the secretary-general.

Sudan descended into chaos after months of tension between military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and his rival Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open fighting in mid-April.

The secretary-general also decries the large-scale violence and casualties in the western region of Darfur, which has experienced some of the worst fighting in the ongoing conflict, Haq said in a statement.

“There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing,” Guterres says.