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The United Nations has reported that over 6,000 people were killed in a devastating three-day attack by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Darfur region, describing the violence as “shocking in its scale and brutality.”
According to a report released Friday by the U.N. Human Rights Office, the RSF offensive to capture el-Fasher in late October included widespread atrocities that constitute war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. The 29-page document details a harrowing list of violations, including mass killings, summary executions, sexual violence, abductions for ransom, torture, and disappearances.
“The wanton violations that were perpetrated by the RSF and allied Arab militia in the final offensive on el-Fasher underscore that persistent impunity fuels continued cycles of violence,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
The RSF and their allied Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, overran el-Fasher—the Sudanese army’s final stronghold in Darfur—on October 26 after an 18-month siege. What followed was a brutal rampage through the city and surrounding areas, with many attacks specifically targeting people based on their ethnicity.
The paramilitaries’ General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo has previously acknowledged some abuses by his fighters but disputed the scale of atrocities. The RSF did not respond to requests for comment on the U.N. report.
The documented violence in el-Fasher follows a pattern of RSF conduct since April 2023, when a power struggle between the paramilitary group and the Sudanese military erupted into open warfare across the country. This conflict has created what experts call the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with parts of Sudan pushed into famine.
Based on interviews with 140 victims and witnesses, supported by satellite imagery and video analysis, the U.N. documented at least 4,400 people killed inside el-Fasher between October 25-27. An additional 1,600 people were killed while attempting to flee.
In one particularly horrific incident, RSF fighters opened fire with heavy weapons on approximately 1,000 people seeking shelter at the Rashid dormitory in el-Fasher university on October 26, killing around 500. One witness described seeing bodies thrown into the air, comparing it to “a scene out of a horror movie.”
Another incident saw approximately 600 people, including 50 children, executed on October 26 while sheltering in university facilities. The report warns that the actual death toll is “undoubtedly significantly higher” than current estimates.
These figures don’t include at least 460 people killed when the RSF stormed the Saudi Maternity hospital on October 28, according to the World Health Organization. About 300 more people died in RSF shelling and drone attacks between October 23-24 at the Abu Shouk displacement camp, located just 1.5 miles northwest of el-Fasher.
Sexual violence was reportedly widespread during the offensive. RSF fighters and allied militias targeted women and girls primarily from African Zaghawa non-Arab tribes, often accusing them of having connections to the military. Türk, who visited Sudan last month, said survivor testimonies revealed that sexual violence “was systematically used as a weapon of war.”
The paramilitaries also conducted mass abductions, releasing captives only after ransoms were paid. Thousands of people have been held in at least ten detention centers across el-Fasher, including the city’s Children’s Hospital, which was converted into a detention facility. Several thousand people remain missing.
The U.N. Human Rights Office noted that the pattern of violence in el-Fasher mirrored previous RSF attacks on the Zamzam displacement camp south of the city, as well as on West Darfur’s city of Geneina and the nearby town of Ardamata in 2023.
Türk stated there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the RSF and their allied Arab militias committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. He called for accountability for those responsible, including commanders, warning that “persistent impunity fuels continued cycles of violence.”
The International Criminal Court is investigating these atrocities as war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the Biden administration has accused the RSF of carrying out genocide in the ongoing conflict.
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9 Comments
This is a tragic situation. The UN must ensure a thorough investigation and that those responsible for these heinous acts face justice. Protecting human rights and preventing further escalation should be the top priorities.
This is a disturbing development. The RSF’s actions appear to constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The UN must ensure a thorough investigation and that the perpetrators are held to account. Protecting civilian lives should be the top priority.
This level of violence and targeting of ethnic minorities is deeply concerning. I hope the UN can work with the Sudanese government to rein in the RSF and restore stability in the region. Impunity for such atrocities is unacceptable.
Targeting civilians based on their ethnicity is a clear violation of human rights. The UN must thoroughly investigate these atrocities and push for justice. Ongoing impunity only fuels further cycles of violence in the region.
Agreed. Accountability and justice are crucial to breaking the cycle of violence in Darfur. The international community needs to exert strong pressure on the Sudanese government to rein in the RSF and prevent further attacks on civilians.
The UN’s report highlights the urgent need for action to prevent further loss of innocent life in Darfur. I hope the international community can come together to pressure the Sudanese government to reign in the RSF and protect civilians.
This is devastating news. The scale and brutality of the violence perpetrated by the RSF and allied militias is truly horrifying. I hope the international community can pressure Sudan to hold the perpetrators accountable and protect the civilian population.
This is a tragic situation. I’m deeply concerned about the impact on the local population, especially the targeting of civilians. The UN must take urgent action to protect human rights and prevent further escalation of the conflict.
The UN’s report paints a grim picture of the violence unleashed by the RSF. These atrocities cannot be tolerated. The international community must hold the Sudanese government accountable and ensure that those responsible face justice.