United Nations human rights experts have accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing “mass atrocities,” including killings and sexual violence against women and girls, in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, ten UN special rapporteurs said the violations documented in recent weeks point to “a pattern of deliberate attacks” on civilians, adding that the RSF’s actions may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Among the signatories were Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls; Paula Gaviria, the expert on the human rights of internally displaced persons; and Alice Jill Edwards, the Special Rapporteur on torture, according to the UN’s official website.
Mass displacement and fear across North Darfur
El Fasher has been under RSF control since October 26, when the paramilitary group seized the city after months of clashes with the Sudanese Armed Forces. RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, later acknowledged that “violations” had occurred but claimed that internal committees had been formed to investigate.
UN experts reported that RSF fighters forcibly expelled at least 100 displaced families amid gunfire, while elderly residents were subjected to intimidation and harassment.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 81,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since late October, many of them seeking shelter in makeshift camps with limited access to food, water, and medical care.
Mounting international concern
The UN experts urged immediate action to protect civilians and called for accountability for those responsible for atrocities in Darfur. They emphasized that the ongoing violence risks triggering a broader humanitarian disaster across western Sudan, where aid deliveries have been severely restricted due to insecurity.
Human rights organizations have warned that El Fasher’s fall could mark a turning point in Sudan’s war, deepening ethnic tensions and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
As the conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army continues to fragment the country, the UN reiterated its call for both sides to cease hostilities and grant unfettered access to humanitarian agencies.
