Sudan: UN Experts Find ‘Hallmarks of Genocide’ in Darfur Atrocities
- GENEVA — A United Nations-backed investigation has found evidence suggesting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed acts that “bear the hallmarks of genocide” during their takeover of el-Fasher,...
- The independent fact-finding mission on Sudan reported that the RSF engaged in mass killings, sexual violence, torture and enforced disappearances, targeting primarily the Zaghawa and Fur communities.
- Officials, approximately 6,000 people were killed during the RSF’s offensive in el-Fasher, which followed an 18-month siege of the city.
GENEVA — A United Nations-backed investigation has found evidence suggesting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed acts that “bear the hallmarks of genocide” during their takeover of el-Fasher, Sudan, in late October 2025. The findings, released on , detail a campaign of violence against non-Arab communities in the city, located in the Darfur region.
The independent fact-finding mission on Sudan reported that the RSF engaged in mass killings, sexual violence, torture and enforced disappearances, targeting primarily the Zaghawa and Fur communities. The report asserts that these actions demonstrate a deliberate effort to inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of these groups, meeting at least three of the five criteria outlined in the 1948 Genocide Convention.
According to U.N. Officials, approximately 6,000 people were killed during the RSF’s offensive in el-Fasher, which followed an 18-month siege of the city. It is estimated that only 40% of el-Fasher’s 260,000 residents were able to flee the onslaught, with thousands more wounded and the fate of the remaining population unknown.
A Brutal Conflict Escalates
The current conflict in Sudan erupted in , stemming from tensions between the Sudanese military and the RSF. The fighting quickly spread from the capital, Khartoum, to other regions, including Darfur, where a long history of ethnic conflict already existed. The war has resulted in over 40,000 confirmed deaths, though aid organizations suggest the actual number is significantly higher.
The RSF’s takeover of el-Fasher, the Sudanese army’s last major stronghold in Darfur, was marked by widespread atrocities. The U.N. Human Rights Office documented instances of mass killings, summary executions, sexual violence, torture, and abductions for ransom. Prior to the attack, the RSF reportedly ran riot in the Abu Shouk displacement camp, killing at least 300 people in two days.
The RSF has not publicly responded to the allegations. General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the RSF, has acknowledged abuses by his forces but disputed the scale of the atrocities.
Meeting the Criteria for Genocide
The 1948 Genocide Convention establishes five criteria for determining whether genocide has occurred: killing members of a group. causing serious bodily or mental harm; imposing measures to prevent births within the group; deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction; and forcibly transferring children to another group.
The fact-finding team determined that the RSF’s actions in el-Fasher met at least three of these criteria: killing members of a protected ethnic group, causing serious bodily and mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction. The report cited a systematic pattern of ethnically targeted killings, sexual violence, and destruction, alongside public statements explicitly calling for the elimination of non-Arab communities.
“The scale, coordination, and public endorsement of the operation by senior RSF leadership demonstrate that the crimes committed in and around El Fasher were not random excesses of war,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the fact-finding mission. “They formed part of a planned and organized operation that bears the defining characteristics of genocide.”
The report detailed how residents of el-Fasher were left “physically exhausted, malnourished, and in part unable to flee, leaving them defenseless against the extreme violence that followed.” Survivors quoted RSF fighters as saying, “Is there anyone Zaghawa among you? If we find Zaghawa, we will kill them all,” and “We want to eliminate anything black from Darfur.” The report also noted the selective targeting of Zaghawa and Fur women and girls, while women perceived as Arab were often spared.
International Response and Calls for Accountability
The findings of the U.N. Investigation have prompted calls for accountability and increased protection for civilians in Sudan. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described the report’s findings as “truly horrific” and pledged to raise the issue at the U.N. Security Council, emphasizing the need to amplify the voices of Sudanese women who have endured immense suffering.
“Today’s report describes the most unimaginable and chilling horrors,” Cooper said. “The world is still failing the people of Sudan. When the stories started to emerge about the horrors of el-Fasher it should have been a turning point, but the violence is continuing.”
The fact-finding mission, established by the U.N. Human Rights Council in , called for accountability for the perpetrators and warned that the conflict is expanding to other regions of Sudan, necessitating increased civilian protection.
The United States government previously determined that genocide was being committed in Darfur by the RSF, a finding made in one of the Biden administration’s final decisions. The RSF has been accused of receiving support from the United Arab Emirates, allegations that the UAE denies. The RSF originated from the Janjaweed militias, which were responsible for widespread atrocities during the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s, resulting in the deaths of approximately 300,000 people and the displacement of 2.7 million.