“We need more UN troops on the ground,” Fletcher said. “The UN is a ship that was not built to stay in port, and this visit has been part of that big push to make sure we move closer to those we serve..”
Progress in negotiations
Fletcher said he had a “useful” meeting with General Burhan, leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), focused on achieving “unlimited” and “unhindered” humanitarian access.
He also met with representatives of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in what was a “tough” discussion, where he established “unequivocally” that the UN will expect protection for civilians and will insist on accountability and safe passage for civilians and aid convoys.
“I think we have a pretty solid agreement from the (military government) authorities in Port Sudan and the RSF on full access and safe passage for our convoys to come in and for civilians to leave,” Fletcher said. “Now let’s see what happens next.”
‘Crime scene’ in El Fasher
The UN also made progress in sending equipment to El Fasher in Darfur under the organization’s terms, Fletcher added.
“We are not going to allow ourselves to be exploited,” he emphasized. “This is a possible crime scene and we have to make sure that the right people arrive and that the help is truly neutral and impartial..”
El Fasher was captured by the RSF last month after more than 500 days of siege, displacing some 90,000 people since the end of October.
When asked about the death toll in El Fasher, Fletcher said there is no credible answer to how many people have died so far.
There are hundreds of thousands of people in Tawila, but “many people are clearly not leaving El Fasher,” he said.
“One of the things we want to do when we go in is find out why that is and see what the conditions are that they are being held there.”