UN Warns Sudan Atrocities Could Spread Beyond El Fasher

The report arrives as concern grows over the security situation in El Obeid, where more than half a million residents and over 100,000 internally displaced people are facing increasing danger.

A new report from the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan has presented additional evidence of widespread atrocities allegedly committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, warning that similar patterns of violence are now emerging in the city of El Obeid. The investigators said the latest findings strengthen earlier conclusions that crimes committed during the conflict carry distinct indicators associated with genocide and demand immediate international attention.

The supplementary report expands on an earlier investigation into violence in El Fasher by documenting allegations of mass killings, systematic abductions of women and girls, gang rapes, torture, enforced disappearances, ransom-taking and arbitrary detention. According to the Mission, these abuses have devastated civilian communities across Darfur and continue to deepen an already severe humanitarian crisis.

Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, said the investigation provides further evidence of how civilians have suffered through repeated attacks, restrictions on humanitarian assistance and assaults on essential infrastructure. He warned that the same warning signs observed before the violence escalated in El Fasher are now becoming visible in El Obeid, making urgent preventive action essential.

Growing fears for civilians trapped in El Obeid

The report arrives as concern grows over the security situation in El Obeid, where more than half a million residents and over 100,000 internally displaced people are facing increasing danger. Investigators said attacks on critical infrastructure, worsening insecurity and restrictions affecting access to food, healthcare and other essential services are placing civilians at heightened risk.

On 6 July, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution requesting the Fact-Finding Mission to launch an urgent investigation into alleged violations of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and related international crimes in and around El Obeid. The decision followed an urgent debate held on 3 July, during which investigators warned that the city's growing isolation and rising violence resemble the early stages of previous attacks elsewhere in Sudan.

Mission expert Mona Rishmawi said the events documented in El Fasher demonstrate how city sieges, attacks on civilian infrastructure, blocked humanitarian access and increasing violence often precede much larger atrocity crimes. She urged all parties involved in the conflict, along with those providing weapons, drones or other forms of support, to take immediate steps to protect civilians before the situation deteriorates further. The investigators stressed that the opportunity to prevent another large-scale humanitarian disaster still exists but warned that time is running short.

Mission urges accountability and stronger international action

The Fact-Finding Mission renewed its call for meaningful accountability, including stronger cooperation with the International Criminal Court, saying justice remains a vital part of protecting civilians and preventing future crimes. The investigators argued that accountability efforts should move alongside urgent measures designed to stop further violence before more communities are affected.

Mission member Joy Ngozi Ezeilo said the findings reflect the suffering of thousands of women, men and children who have experienced extreme violence during the conflict. She noted that behind every documented case are individuals and families whose lives have been permanently changed by the war.

The investigators believe that protecting civilians must become the immediate priority as fighting continues across Sudan. They warned that the lessons learned from El Fasher should guide international efforts to prevent another catastrophe in El Obeid, where many of the same warning indicators are already visible.

The UN Fact-Finding Mission confirmed it will continue gathering evidence related to the conflict and present further findings on the situation in and around El Obeid to both the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly as its investigation progresses.