Amnesty says RSF committed ethnic cleansing in Sudan’s el-Fasher

What Happened

Amnesty International released a report on Wednesday accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during its assault on el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, from early 2024 to October 2025. The report is based on interviews with 246 people, including 208 survivors (169 adults and 39 children), documenting killings, torture, rape, sexual slavery, forcible transfer, and persecution. It highlights that the RSF repeatedly attacked villages around el-Fasher predominantly inhabited by the Zaghawa ethnic group. A siege lasting from May 2024 to October 2025 restricted food and aid, contributing to famine, and a final offensive on October 26, 2025, led to mass executions and detentions; one survivor reported seeing nearly 1,000 bodies. The RSF's actions have displaced hundreds of thousands of children and caused acute risks for vulnerable groups.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The report provides extensive survivor testimony and corroborates earlier UN findings that the assault on el-Fasher bore 'hallmarks of genocide.' It reinforces evidence of systematic targeting of the Zaghawa ethnic group, deepening Darfur's history of ethnic violence and raising the specter of international legal accountability. The findings come amid Sudan's broader civil war, which has displaced nearly 14 million people, and highlight the catastrophic humanitarian toll of the RSF siege.

Watch For

Potential international responses, including calls for a ceasefire and deployment of an independent protection force as urged by Amnesty International. The report may prompt renewed attention at the ICC or UN Security Council, as well as further documentation efforts by rights groups. Developments in el-Fasher under RSF control and the fate of displaced and besieged populations will also be critical to monitor.