Amnesty International has released a new report detailing serious human rights abuses committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during their siege and capture of El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan. The findings indicate that the RSF’s actions between April 2023 and October 2025 could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report, entitled City Under Siege, Children Under Fire: Rapid Support Forces’ Crimes Against Humanity in North Darfur, outlines a harrowing narrative of persecution, torture, and systematic violence against civilians, including women and children.
During the protracted conflict, Amnesty International emphasizes that civilians faced unlawful detention, torture, and execution on a large scale. Additionally, women and girls were subjected to rape and forced into sexual slavery, while children often fell victim to deliberate attacks by RSF militants. The detailed study highlights violations amounting to crimes against humanity, citing acts of persecution driven by ethnic identity and forcible transfer due to the destruction of villages and restriction of food supplies around El Fasher. Mass detentions, rape, and forced labor further underscore the RSF’s brutal campaign, which Amnesty argues is tantamount to extermination by imposing life-threatening conditions on civilians.
Concurrently, a United Nations fact-finding mission conducted earlier this year identified patterns of violence by the RSF during their El Fasher takeover, raising alarms consistent with genocide concerns. According to the UN report, evidence of genocidal acts against ethnic minority communities, such as the Zaghawa and Fur, has emerged, underscoring the growing international alarm over the RSF’s activities. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has also described these violations as potentially classifiable as war crimes due to their grave nature.
With the international community’s mounting attention on the situation, questions about external involvement have arisen. Criticism has been directed towards the United Arab Emirates for allegedly supporting the RSF in their prolonged conflict against the Sudanese government, which erupted in April 2023. The situation remains complex, reflecting the tangled web of regional and international interests exacerbating Sudan’s internal strife.
The report’s revelations point to a broader narrative of impunity and human suffering, raising pressing questions about accountability and justice in conflict-ridden regions. For further insights into the unfolding situation, Amnesty International’s recent publication can provide detailed information about the apparent violations in North Darfur. More on the issue can be found in the report hosted by JURIST.