Amnesty International has concluded that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed crimes against humanity during their siege of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. The finding, released in a report on Monday, details systematic attacks against civilians, including killings, sexual violence, and destruction of property, between April and June 2024.
The report draws on satellite imagery, testimonies from survivors, and medical records to document a pattern of deliberate attacks against the civilian population. Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, stated that the RSF “deliberately targeted civilians in El Fasher, subjecting them to a relentless assault designed to terrorise the population into submission.” The siege, which began in April, cut off food, water, and medical supplies to the city of roughly 500,000 people.
The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), has been locked in a brutal conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023. El Fasher had remained under SAF control but became a flashpoint for RSF attempts to consolidate territorial gains in Darfur. Amnesty’s evidence suggests that the RSF used heavy artillery and airstrikes in densely populated areas, with no apparent regard for civilian casualties.
The report also implicates the RSF in the use of systematic sexual violence as a weapon of war, with multiple accounts of rape and gang-rape documented. Additionally, the RSF and allied militias are accused of looting and destroying hospitals, schools, and markets, rendering the city uninhabitable for many.
Amnesty’s classification of these acts as crimes against humanity carries significant legal weight. Under the Rome Statute, crimes against humanity include acts such as murder, extermination, rape, and persecution when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population. The findings are based on a comprehensive investigation that meets international legal standards.
The Sudanese government, which has been at odds with Amnesty over previous human rights allegations, has not yet responded to the report. The RSF has consistently denied targeting civilians and instead blames the SAF for the crisis. However, the evidence presented by Amnesty suggests a coordinated campaign of violence rather than isolated incidents.
International reaction has been swift. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for perpetrators to be held accountable. The African Union has also expressed grave concern, urging both parties to return to peace talks. The United States, which recently imposed sanctions on RSF commanders, has echoed these calls.
The conflict in Sudan has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 10 million people displaced and 25 million in need of aid. The siege of El Fasher represents a particularly brutal chapter, as the RSF seeks to control Darfur’s remaining urban centres. Humanitarian access remains severely restricted, with the RSF blocking aid convoys and preventing supplies from reaching the city.
Amnesty’s report has renewed calls for international action, including the potential referral of the situation in Sudan to the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, prosecution faces significant obstacles, including the lack of a UN Security Council referral due to geopolitical divisions and the difficulty of evidence collection in an active conflict zone.
For now, the report stands as a damning indictment of the RSF’s conduct and a stark reminder of the human cost of Sudan’s war. As the fighting continues, Amnesty’s findings add urgency to the need for a political solution and accountability for those responsible for what the organisation calls the worst atrocities in Darfur since 2003.
