A United Nations investigation has concluded that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed crimes against humanity in the Darfur city of el-Fasher, with systematic attacks on civilians amounting to widespread atrocities. The UK has now led an urgent push for immediate UN Security Council sanctions, citing evidence of targeted violence, sexual assault, and forced displacement.
The report, released by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, documents a pattern of brutality dating from April 2023. Civilians in el-Fasher faced indiscriminate shelling, executions, and systematic looting. Survivors described the RSF as operating with impunity, often with direct links to elements of the Sudanese military. The investigation found that attacks were directed against civilians based on ethnicity and perceived support for the Sudanese Armed Forces.
‘This is not a conflict between two armed groups,’ said Dr. Helena Vance. ‘This is a deliberate campaign to terrorise a population. The evidence meets the legal threshold for crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute. We are watching the slow collapse of civilian protection norms in real time.’
The UK’s Foreign Secretary has circulated a draft resolution at the Security Council, calling for asset freezes and travel bans on RSF commanders. The move comes after months of inaction by the council, which remains divided between Western powers, Russia, and China. The draft text demands an immediate cessation of hostilities and unimpeded humanitarian access.
The geography of the atrocities is telling. El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has been a flashpoint since the RSF expanded its control from Khartoum into the western states. The UN estimates that over one million people have been displaced since the start of the civil war in April 2023. The RSF’s use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas marks a shift from the proxy warfare seen in earlier phases of the conflict.
Yet calls for sanctions face practical obstacles. The RSF’s international supply chain remains opaque, with weapons allegedly funnelled through the Central African Republic and Libya. The Sudanese government, while nominally opposed to the RSF, has shown little willingness to cooperate with international justice mechanisms.
The broader context is a crisis of state capacity. Sudan’s human development indicators have plummeted since the 2021 coup, and the health system in Darfur has effectively collapsed. The RSF’s crimes are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a state fragmenting under the weight of its own military politics.
The UK’s lead comes at a time when international attention is divided between Gaza and Ukraine. But the data from el-Fasher is unambiguous. The number of civilian casualties has risen by 240% since the RSF consolidated its control over the region. Refugees crossing into Chad report summary executions of medical personnel and systematic destruction of water infrastructure.
‘The physical reality of this conflict is one of extreme violence against the most vulnerable,’ said Vance. ‘We are not talking about collateral damage. This is calculated brutality designed to render life in Darfur unsustainable.’
What comes next is uncertain. The Security Council may pass symbolic resolutions, but without enforcement mechanisms or political will from regional powers, the RSF will continue its campaign. The UK’s call for sanctions is a necessary first step but it must be matched by a comprehensive strategy that addresses the flow of arms and the economic incentives driving the conflict.
For the people of el-Fasher, the window for meaningful intervention is closing. The UN report makes clear that crimes against humanity are ongoing. The world’s response will determine whether this is a moment for justice or another chapter in Darfur’s long history of impunity.
