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The United Nations Human Rights Office issued a scathing report on Friday, accusing Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of war crimes and potential crimes against humanity.
The allegations centre on the October capture of El-Fasher, where the RSF and allied Arab militias reportedly unleashed a campaign of “shocking brutality.”
Investigators documented at least 6,000 killings in just the first three days of the offensive, with 4,400 victims executed within the city and another 1,600 gunned down as they attempted to flee.
The violence was not merely a byproduct of combat but a systematic targeting of civilians based on their ethnicity.
The report, built on interviews with over 140 witnesses and survivors, details a horrific list of violations: summary executions, widespread sexual violence, torture, and the recruitment of children for hostilities.
UN rights chief Volker Turk noted that these atrocities “deeply compounded” the suffering of residents who had already endured months of siege and bombardment before the city’s final fall.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan is now considered one of the worst in the world, with the ongoing conflict between the regular army and the RSF displacing 11 million people since April 2023.
Beyond the confirmed deaths, the UN expressed grave concern for the thousands of people who remain missing.
The report suggests that the actual death toll from the week-long offensive is likely significantly higher than current estimates as more data emerges from the region.
Volker Turk has called for an immediate end to the “persistent impunity” that he believes is fuelling the continued slaughter.
He urged the international community to launch credible, impartial investigations to establish criminal responsibility for both the foot soldiers and the high-ranking commanders overseeing the RSF.
Without meaningful accountability, the UN warns that the cycle of ethnic violence and displacement in Sudan will only continue to escalate.
