Amnesty International has concluded that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan are committing crimes against humanity, according to a report released today. The human rights organisation documented systematic attacks against civilians, including murder, rape, and torture, as part of a widespread campaign in Darfur and other regions. The investigation draws on satellite imagery, satellite data, and testimonies from 200 survivors and witnesses.
The evidence points to a deliberate strategy of ethnic cleansing, with the RSF targeting specific communities in the context of the ongoing civil war that erupted in April 2023. The report details incidents where RSF fighters encircled villages, opened fire on unarmed residents, and raped women and girls as a tactic of war. The organisation notes that such actions fit the legal definition of crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has been engaged in a brutal conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces since a ceasefire collapsed. Amnesty International’s findings add to a growing body of evidence that the RSF may be responsible for war crimes and genocide. The United Nations and the African Union have called for accountability, but the international response has been stymied by geopolitical divisions.
The report stresses the catastrophic humanitarian toll: more than 18,000 people have been killed and over 10 million displaced since the war began. Famine conditions have been declared in parts of Darfur, and the health system is in ruins. Amnesty International urges the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court and to impose targeted sanctions on RSF leaders.
For the scientific and climate correspondent in me, the tragedy is also an ecological one. The fighting has exacerbated droughts and water scarcity as displaced populations cut down trees for fuel and overgraze fragile land. The RSF’s scorched-earth tactics have torched fields and polluted water sources, compounding the long-term damage to Sudan’s environment.
In the face of such brutality, the world must act. The evidence is clear, the law is unambiguous, and the time for half measures is over. Amnesty International’s report is a call to conscience: we cannot allow these atrocities to continue without consequence.
