Darfur Atrocities
Amnesty International Reports RSF Commits Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan’s El Fasher
Key Points
The El Fasher assault was extraordinarily deadly in a short window: more than 6,000 people killed over three days, with the broader Darfur conflict driving displacement for over 14 million and leaving about 28 million people facing acute hunger.
Amnesty International’s investigation is built on a sizable evidentiary base: interviews with 247 people (208 survivors), plus analysis of 89 videos and satellite imagery, with findings described as potentially relevant to genocide.
The violence targeted ethnic identity, with RSF-affiliated Arab fighters attacking settlements around El Fasher that housed the Zaghawa, including burning homes after residents fled to render areas uninhabitable and prevent returns.
Sexual violence was described by authorities and rights groups as a weapon of war during the El Fasher violence, with reports of rape, sexual slavery, and other abuses against men, women and children.
International actors responded in part by urging an immediate halt to the violence; seven European countries called for an immediate halt to the fighting in Sudan.
Sudan's Rapid Support Forces committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during their campaign to seize El Fasher, according to a landmark report by Amnesty International. The investigation, titled "City Under Siege, Children Under Fire" and released June 30, 2026, found that RSF fighters and allied Arab militias killed more than 6,000 civilians in just three days during October 2025.
The report is built on 247 interviews — including 208 survivors, among them 39 children — plus 89 verified videos and satellite imagery. UN experts say the campaign bears the "hallmarks of genocide." Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard called it a "stain on the conscience of humanity."
Three Days, 6,000 Dead: The Fall of El Fasher
The RSF launched its final offensive on October 24, 2025. Sudanese Armed Forces units abandoned the city, leaving civilians and local fighters behind. Between October 25 and 27, RSF fighters killed more than 6,000 people — both inside the city and along escape routes — according to data from the UN Human Rights Office. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called it a "preventable human rights catastrophe."
On October 28, RSF fighters stormed the Saudi Maternity Hospital, the city's last working medical facility. More than 460 patients and staff were killed, according to The Guardian. El Fasher was the last SAF-held city in Darfur. Its fall means the RSF now controls all five of Darfur's regional capitals.
Zaghawa Villages Burned to Block Any Return
The RSF specifically targeted the Zaghawa, a non-Arab ethnic group whose leaders formed the core of local armed resistance. RSF-affiliated fighters burned homes after residents fled. The Guardian reported this was a deliberate tactic to make the land uninhabitable and stop displaced people from coming back — a defining feature of ethnic cleansing.
Satellite imagery analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab confirmed a "scorched earth" pattern. RSF-controlled areas saw 90% destruction of civilian infrastructure in Zaghawa-majority neighborhoods, according to Al Jazeera. Fighters used racial slurs like "falangay" — a word implying servitude — during attacks, which UN experts say supports a genocide designation under international law.
Sexual Violence Used as a Weapon, Children Abducted
Amnesty's report documents rape, sexual slavery, killings, and forced recruitment of children. Rights groups describe sexual violence as a deliberate weapon of war, not incidental to fighting. Callamard said children were "deliberately targeted" throughout the campaign, according to RFI.
The broader human cost is staggering. More than 14 million people have been displaced across Sudan. About 28 million face acute hunger. Famine was declared in the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher as early as August 2024, according to Yahoo News. Aid agencies warn that with El Fasher gone, Darfur has no remaining safe haven.
Global Pressure Mounts, Accountability Still Out of Reach
Amnesty named three senior RSF commanders for individual criminal responsibility. One, Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris — known as "Abu Lulu" — was sanctioned by the UN and US after he filmed himself committing atrocities during the siege, according to Streamline Feed. Amnesty sent a formal letter to RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo on June 10, 2026. He did not respond.
Seven European countries issued a joint call on July 1, 2026, demanding an "immediate halt" to the violence. Amnesty is pushing the UN Security Council to authorize an international protection force with a mandate to use "all necessary means" to protect civilians. The RSF, meanwhile, denied targeting civilians, framing its operations as a counter-offensive against armed groups allied with the Sudanese military.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativePublishers
17
Articles
53
Reach
70
