A United Nations investigation has concluded that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out mass killings, abductions of women and girls, mass gang rapes, and forced starvation in al-Fashir, north Darfur, as part of an intentional policy amounting to genocide. The RSF, which is battling the Sudanese army in a civil war, committed these crimes after a prolonged siege and capture of the city last year.
Survivors Describe Horrific Ordeals
Survivors reported being raped in rooms where the bodies of recently killed civilians, including their own family members, were still lying on the ground. The UN probe documented a widespread and systematic pattern of conduct, including large-scale killings, mass-scale rape, and deliberate starvation, which it determined was part of an intended policy.
War Crime of Starvation
The report found that the RSF and its allies committed the war crime of starvation by imposing a prolonged siege on al-Fashir, impeding relief supplies, and shelling food production systems. The RSF has consistently denied such abuses throughout the civil war, claiming the accounts are manufactured by adversaries.
Warnings of Similar Catastrophe in al-Obeid
The UN human rights chief warned that a similar catastrophe is unfolding around another large city, al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state. His office has documented patterns of summary executions, abductions, torture, and sexual violence in the surrounding region. Members of the UN Human Rights Council condemned the violence and established an urgent inquiry into the alleged abuses there.
Risk of Large-Scale Atrocities
International observers have warned of a severe risk of large-scale atrocities as the RSF masses forces around al-Obeid, which is currently home to around half a million people, including more than 83,000 internally displaced persons. The patterns documented in al-Fashir—including encirclement, attacks on civilian infrastructure, restrictions on humanitarian access, and widespread abuses against civilians—serve as a stark warning.
Genocide Findings
The fact-finding mission previously concluded that mass killings of non-Arab communities when the RSF captured al-Fashir bore hallmarks of genocide. This latest report details additional evidence that the widespread and systematic pattern of conduct was part of an intended policy. The international community is urged to heed these lessons and act to prevent further catastrophe.
