Amnesty International has accused Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing grave human rights violations and potentially crimes against humanity in and around the city of El-Fasher. The allegations stem from the group's investigation into the RSF's 18-month siege of the city, detailing numerous accounts of violence against civilians.
Amnesty International's secretary general, Agnès Callamard, stated that children were not merely collateral damage but were often deliberately targeted, suffering death, injury, rape, abduction, and forced recruitment on a massive scale. The report includes accounts from over 200 survivors, with evidence gathered suggesting potential relevance to the crime of genocide.
One 17-year-old survivor recounted being tied up, beaten with sticks and a rifle, and then shot in the leg. He reported that eight of his cousins, including four boys between the ages of 11 and 17, were killed in the same attack in Abu Zerega, a town south of El-Fasher. Researchers analyzing open-source videos and satellite imagery from North Darfur indicated that victims were frequently targeted and killed based on their ethnic identity, with Arab fighters allegedly attacking members of non-Arab communities.
Witness testimonies also described mass killings, sexual violence, and the deliberate targeting of children. Callamard emphasized that the international community was aware of the severe hardships faced by civilians in El-Fasher during the RSF siege, calling the situation a "stain on the conscience of humanity." She urged for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and the urgent deployment of an international force to protect civilians.
Amnesty International stated it has identified RSF commanders responsible for violations of international law and stressed the necessity of accountability. The RSF has not yet commented on the report but has previously denied similar accusations.
The Amnesty report corroborates mounting evidence of atrocities in El-Fasher, a city the United Nations previously described as bearing the "hallmarks of genocide." According to the UN, over 6,000 people were killed in just three days during the assault on El-Fasher. International pressure is increasing on those supporting the conflict to disengage. The ongoing fighting has contributed to a severe humanitarian crisis, with more than 14 million people displaced and 28 million facing acute hunger, according to aid agencies.