The leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has declared an investigation into what he called violations committed by his soldiers during the capture of el-Fasher. The announcement by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, came after escalating reports of mass civilian killings following the RSF takeover of the city in the Darfur region on Sunday.
The UN Security Council is expected to hold a meeting on Sudan, which is in its third year of civil war between the army and the paramilitary fighters. The RSF leader spoke after international outrage about reports of mass killings in el-Fasher, apparently documented by his paramilitary fighters in social media videos.
Hemedti stated that he was sorry for the disaster that had befallen the people of el-Fasher and admitted there had been violations by his forces, pledging a committee to investigate these actions. However, observers have noted that similar promises made in the past regarding previous incidents, like the massacre in el-Geneina in 2023, had not been fulfilled.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) expressed alarm at reports suggesting over 460 civilians, including patients, were killed at the city's last partially functioning hospital. While RSF denies allegations of ethnically motivated violence, activists are now calling for increased international scrutiny of the United Arab Emirates, accused of providing military support to the RSF despite the UAE's denials.
The RSF's control over el-Fasher, which followed an 18-month siege marked by starvation and bombardment, highlights the fracture within Sudan. The RSF now dominates western Sudan and regions to the south, while the army retains control over the capital, Khartoum, and eastern territories along the Red Sea.
