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At least 542 civilians have been confirmed killed in Sudan’s North Darfur region over the past three weeks, the United Nations (UN) reported on Thursday, warning the true death toll is likely to be far higher.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the escalating violence, describing it as part of a broader humanitarian catastrophe.
“The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds,” he said in a statement issued on Thursday, May 1, 2025, referring to the brutal civil war that erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The ongoing conflict has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and sparked what aid agencies call the world’s worst displacement and hunger crisis.
North Darfur’s capital, El-Fasher, the last major city in the region not under RSF control, has seen particularly intense fighting recently. The RSF has stepped up its assault on the city following its loss of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, last month.
Turk pointed to a deadly RSF attack just three days ago on both El-Fasher and the nearby Abu Shouk camp, which left at least 40 civilians dead.
“This brings the confirmed number of civilians killed in North Darfur to at least 542 in just the last three weeks,” he said, noting that the actual figure was likely significantly higher.
He also warned of an RSF threat of further “bloodshed” in looming battles with the SAF and allied armed groups. “Everything must be done to protect civilians trapped amid dire conditions in and around El-Fasher,” Turk said.
The UN also raised concerns about reports of extrajudicial killings in other parts of Sudan, including in Khartoum state.
Turk referred to disturbing videos circulating online that appear to show at least 30 men in civilian clothing being executed by armed men wearing RSF uniforms in Al-Salha, southern Omdurman. In a follow-up video, an RSF commander reportedly acknowledged the killings.
These executions came after separate reports alleging that the pro-SAF Al-Baraa Brigade executed dozens of people accused of collaborating with the RSF in southern Khartoum.
“Deliberately taking the life of a civilian or anyone no longer directly taking part in hostilities is a war crime,” Turk stressed.
He added that he had personally contacted the leaders of both the RSF and SAF to warn them of the catastrophic human rights implications of the ongoing war.
“These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop,” he said.
