Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have allegedly committed numerous crimes against humanity during their siege of the city of el-Fasher in Darfur, according to a UN report. The UN Fact-Finding Mission accused the RSF of serious violations, including murder, torture, enslavement, rape, sexual violence, forced displacement, and persecution based on ethnic, gender, and political grounds.
Evidence gathered suggests both the RSF and Sudan's regular army are engaged in war crimes, with both groups having denied any misconduct. The report illustrates that civilians have been marginalized through systematic attacks and human rights violations.
Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, stated: Both sides have deliberately targeted civilians through attacks, summary executions, arbitrary detention, torture, and inhumane treatment in detention facilities, including denial of food, sanitation, and medical care. These are not accidents but strategies constituting war crimes.
In a harrowing highlight of the report, the RSF's actions at the Zamzam refugee camp are characterized as starvation tactics that may equate to extermination. The RSF stormed the camp earlier in the year, forcing thousands to flee from an already dire humanitarian situation.
The siege on el-Fasher has persisted for more than a year and is critical for the Sudanese army's influence in Darfur. The US government has accused the RSF of genocide against non-Arab populations and has imposed sanctions on military leaders implicated in the violence. As the conflict rages, recent analyses suggest RSF intends to trap civilians by establishing barriers around the city.
The Human Rights Council report called on the international community to impose an arms embargo and initiate an independent judicial process to hold accountable those responsible for these atrocities. The report underscored the immense suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire, indicating over 13 million people have already been displaced.
