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The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s office has cautioned that atrocities reported in the Sudanese city of El-Fasher could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Following 18 months of siege, bombardment, and starvation, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured El-Fasher on October 26, ousting the army’s last major position in the Darfur region.
In a statement on Monday, November 3, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) said it was “deeply alarmed and profoundly concerned” by accounts of mass killings, sexual violence, and other serious crimes allegedly carried out in the city.
“These crimes appear to fit into a broader pattern of violence that has gripped Darfur since April 2023,” the OTP said. “If verified, they could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.”
The United Nations reports that more than 65,000 residents have fled El-Fasher, including about 5,000 who escaped to the nearby town of Tawila, while tens of thousands remain trapped. Before the RSF’s final assault, the city had a population of roughly 260,000.
Since the takeover, numerous reports have emerged of killings, rapes, looting, abductions, and attacks on aid workers, with most communication networks in the area cut off.
The RSF originated from the Janjaweed militia, which was accused of genocide in Darfur two decades ago. Observers fear that the fall of El-Fasher could signal a return to the same kind of atrocities witnessed in the early 2000s.
Last month, the ICC found former Janjaweed commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between 2003 and 2004, including rape, murder, and torture.
Referencing that verdict, the OTP stressed that “those responsible for such atrocities will face justice.” It reaffirmed that the Court retains jurisdiction over crimes committed in Darfur and urged anyone with evidence to submit it through secure channels.
The ICC’s chief prosecutor, British lawyer Karim Khan, is currently on leave amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies. His deputies have taken charge of ongoing investigations, including a case against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
The Court has also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
