US Secretary of State Admits RSF Obstructing Humanitarian Aid to Darfur

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio implicitly acknowledged that the rebel Rapid Support Forces militia is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in El Fasher.

In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America,” Rubio said that his country has not prevented the provision of humanitarian aid to those in need in Sudan, but that some parties to the conflict are using this aid as a tool of war!

Rubio’s statement on ABC’s morning television program coincided with a United Nations confirmation that the Rapid Support Forces militia has refused humanitarian aid access to those in need in Darfur in general and El Fasher in particular.

Rubio added, “Some parties to the war are looting and seizing this aid, and one of the reasons why aid is not reaching some areas is not because the United States has reduced aid, but because of the ongoing conflict there, so the aid is not reaching the population.”

The US Secretary of State gave the example of the situation in Sudan, saying, “In Sudan, for example, it’s not just a humanitarian disaster; it’s a war zone. Aid is being stolen and withheld. They are using aid as a tool against the population, so preventing aid from reaching them is a tool of war. In some of these areas, the reason aid is not arriving is because it cannot be distributed,” according to the transcript of the interview published by the US State Department on Tuesday.