A United Nations investigation has accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out a campaign of mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and forced starvation in the North Darfur city of al-Fashir, describing the alleged abuses as part of a deliberate policy that may amount to genocide.
The findings come as Sudan’s civil war continues to devastate communities across the country, with fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces entering another deadly phase. According to the UN report, many of the alleged atrocities occurred after the RSF imposed a prolonged siege on al-Fashir before taking control of the city last year.
Survivors Describe Horrific Abuse
The investigation documented testimonies from survivors who described widespread violence during and after the siege. Witnesses recounted incidents of gang rape, with some victims saying they were assaulted in locations where the bodies of recently killed civilians, including family members, were still lying.
Investigators also reported mass killings, abductions of women and girls, and other serious human rights violations allegedly carried out by RSF fighters and allied groups. According to the report, the pattern and scale of the abuses suggest a coordinated campaign targeting civilians rather than isolated acts of violence.
The RSF has consistently denied accusations of committing atrocities during the conflict, maintaining that allegations against its fighters are false and politically motivated.
UN Says Starvation Was Used as a Weapon of War
The UN investigation further accused the RSF of deliberately using starvation as a method of warfare by maintaining a lengthy siege on al-Fashir, restricting humanitarian aid, and targeting food production systems.
According to investigators, the obstruction of relief supplies and attacks on critical civilian infrastructure left thousands of residents trapped without adequate access to food, water, and medical care, worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
The report builds on previous UN findings that violence against non-Arab communities during the RSF’s takeover of al-Fashir displayed characteristics consistent with acts of genocide.
Fresh Fears for al-Obeid
The UN Human Rights Office has also warned that a similar humanitarian crisis could be unfolding in al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, where RSF forces have reportedly been mobilizing.
The city is home to an estimated 500,000 residents, including more than 83,000 internally displaced people. UN officials say they have received reports of summary executions, abductions, torture, and sexual violence in nearby areas, raising concerns that civilians could face further atrocities if fighting intensifies.
In response, members of the UN Human Rights Council have condemned the reported violations and launched an urgent investigation into the latest allegations.
International Community Urged to Prevent Further Atrocities
Human rights experts say the events in al-Fashir highlight the dangers of allowing patterns of violence—including prolonged sieges, attacks on civilian infrastructure, restrictions on humanitarian assistance, and widespread abuses—to continue unchecked.
The United Nations has called on the international community to take urgent action to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access, and prevent another humanitarian catastrophe as Sudan’s conflict enters an increasingly dangerous stage.
