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UNITED NATIONS (AP) \u2014 The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday rejected plans by Sudan\u2019s paramilitary group<\/a> to establish a rival government in areas it controls, warning that the move threatens the country\u2019s territorial integrity and risks further exacerbating the ongoing civil war<\/a>.<\/p>\n The strongly worded statement by the U.N.\u2019s most powerful body \u201cunequivocally reaffirmed\u201d its unwavering commitment to Sudan\u2019s sovereignty, independence and unity. Any steps to undermine these principles \u201cthreaten not only the future of Sudan but also the peace and stability of the broader region,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n The 15-member council said the announcement by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces also risks \u201cfragmenting the country and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including western Darfur. Some 40,000 people have been killed, nearly 13 million displaced and many pushed to the brink of famine, U.N. agencies say.<\/p>\n The RSF and their allies announced in late June that they had formed a parallel government in areas the group controls, mainly in the vast Darfur region where allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity<\/a> are being investigated.<\/p>\n The deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court<\/a> said last month that the tribunal believes war crimes and crimes against humanity are taking place in Darfur, where the RSF controls all regional capitals except el-Fasher in North Darfur<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Security Council reiterated that its priority is a resumption of talks by both parties to reach a lasting ceasefire and create conditions for a political resolution of the war, starting with a civilian-led transition that leads to a democratically elected national government.<\/p>\n Council members recalled their resolution adopted last year demanding that the RSF lift its siege of el-Fasher, \u201cwhere famine and extreme food insecurity conditions are at risk of spreading.\u201d They expressed \u201cgrave concern\u201d at reports of a renewed RSF offensive on the besieged city.<\/p>\n U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday that a year ago, famine was declared in the Zamzam displacement camp<\/a> in North Darfur. The risk of famine has since spread to 17 areas<\/a> in Darfur and the Kordofan region<\/a>, which is adjacent to North Darfur and west of Khartoum, he said.<\/p>\n The U.N. World Food Program is calling for access to el-Fasher to deliver aid to people facing starvation, Dujarric said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a coping mechanism, some residents of the area are reportedly surviving on animal fodder and food waste,\u201d Dujarric said.<\/p>\n WFP is providing digital cash to about 250,000 people in el-Fasher to buy dwindling food left in markets, he said, but escalating hunger makes it imperative to scale up assistance now.<\/p>\n