UN Experts Condemn RSF Atrocities in Darfur, Warn of Ethnic Targeting and War Crimes

After 540 days of siege, El Fasher fell to RSF control on 23 October 2025, triggering a wave of violence described as “catastrophic.”

The United Nations has raised grave alarm over reports of mass atrocities, sexual violence, and ethnically targeted killings committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following the fall of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, Sudan. According to a statement from a group of UN human rights experts, the RSF’s actions amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, calling for immediate international intervention and independent investigations.

Atrocities Following the Fall of El Fasher

After 540 days of siege, El Fasher fell to RSF control on 23 October 2025, triggering a wave of violence described as “catastrophic.” Witness testimonies and humanitarian reports point to systematic killings, looting, and large-scale sexual and gender-based violence. The experts detailed horrific abuses, including women and girls being raped in front of their relatives, detained for days, and subjected to torture and degrading treatment.

“We are horrified by the scale and brutality of the crimes reported in El Fasher,” the experts said. “The widespread and sadistic levels of sexual violence appear to be a deliberate strategy of domination and humiliation aimed at destroying communities.”

The fall of El Fasher has worsened Sudan’s already dire humanitarian situation. The conflict has displaced 8.6 million people internally and driven over 3 million into neighboring countries, creating one of the largest displacement crises in the world.

Hospitals and Civilians Under Attack

The experts expressed outrage at reports that RSF forces attacked hospitals and medical facilities, including the Al-Saudi Maternity Hospital, where at least 460 patients and companions were reportedly killed over a single weekend. Similar attacks were reported in the Daraja Oula and Al-Matar neighborhoods, where clinics and makeshift hospitals were targeted.

These assaults have crippled humanitarian operations in the region. More than 6,000 pregnant women now lack access to reproductive or medical care—including rape survivors in urgent need of emergency services. The targeting of aid workers and health personnel has further obstructed relief efforts, cutting off life-saving assistance to millions.

Systematic Sexual and Ethnic Violence

Eyewitnesses described RSF soldiers selecting women and girls at gunpoint from shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs) near El Fasher University, then gang-raping at least 25 women and forcing 100 displaced families to flee. Those attempting to escape were reportedly subjected to invasive searches, abductions, and ransom demands, with many women assaulted again during flight.

The UN experts said many victims remain unaccounted for, and survivors have been denied medical and psychosocial care. They also received reports of summary executions of civilians—especially members of the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa ethnic groups—indicating a campaign of ethnically targeted violence reminiscent of past atrocities in Darfur.

“The deliberate targeting of Sudanese belonging to the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa ethnic communities — including through sexual violence — is being done with the intent of terrorising, displacing, and destroying them in whole or in part,” the experts stated.

These crimes mirror earlier RSF campaigns in Zamzam, El Geneina, and Ardamata, where thousands were killed and women subjected to systematic rape.

Famine and Humanitarian Collapse

The UN has also confirmed famine conditions in both El Fasher and Kadugli, worsening an already devastating crisis. With aid convoys blocked and infrastructure destroyed, food shortages have reached critical levels. Starvation now looms as a new weapon of war in the region, compounding the suffering of civilians trapped between warring factions.

Calls for International Action

The UN experts urged the global community to act swiftly to halt the atrocities, ensure accountability, and restore humanitarian access.

“We urge the international community to use all means available to end the bloodshed, ensure the protection of civilians, establish the fate of those disappeared, facilitate humanitarian aid, and hold perpetrators accountable—including those who have aided and abetted these crimes through arms transfers and logistical support.”

Human rights observers stress that accountability mechanisms—including possible referrals to the International Criminal Court (ICC)—must be urgently pursued. The RSF and other armed actors continue to operate with impunity, despite mounting evidence of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

A Pattern of Impunity in Sudan

The atrocities in El Fasher represent the latest escalation in Sudan’s brutal civil conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. The RSF, originally formed from the notorious Janjaweed militias, has been repeatedly accused of ethnic cleansing and war crimes dating back to the early 2000s Darfur conflict.

With Sudan’s state institutions in collapse and millions displaced, the humanitarian crisis has become one of the world’s most neglected emergencies. Aid organizations continue to call for safe corridors for civilians, cessation of hostilities, and international monitoring missions to prevent further atrocities.

The Urgent Need for Justice and Protection

El Fasher’s fall has exposed once again the vulnerability of civilians in Sudan’s conflict zones—particularly women, children, and ethnic minorities. Survivors’ testimonies reveal a pattern of sexual violence and racial targeting designed to fracture communities and erase their identity.

UN experts emphasized that impunity cannot continue. Independent investigations must be established, and those responsible—whether in command positions or their international backers—must face justice.

As famine spreads and atrocities mount, Sudan’s crisis stands as a moral test for the international community: whether it can act decisively to protect civilians and uphold the principles of international law in one of the most harrowing humanitarian disasters of the decade.