Sudan's RSF accused of crimes against humanity in el-Fasher

What Happened

Amnesty International released a report on 1 July 2026, accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of crimes against humanity—including ethnic cleansing—during the siege and capture of el-Fasher, North Darfur. The report, based on 247 interviews between early 2024 and October 2025, documents RSF's systematic attacks on Zaghawa settlements around the city and widespread, deliberate violence against children: killing, abductions, forced recruitment, and rape. An independent UN fact-finding mission had concluded in February 2025 that the assault bore the 'hallmarks of genocide.' El-Fasher, the last major Darfur city held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), fell to the RSF in October 2025 after a protracted siege, solidifying RSF control over the region and contributing to a de facto partition of Sudan.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The fall of el-Fasher marks a decisive shift in the Sudanese civil war, entrenching RSF dominance in Darfur and advancing de facto partition. The documented ethnic cleansing of the Zaghawa and systematic child-targeting reinforce allegations of genocide, echoing the region's 2003–2005 atrocities. Video evidence implicating senior RSF commander Abu Lulu in summary executions, alongside his reported release and return to command—denied by RSF—highlights impunity and command responsibility. The crisis tests international accountability mechanisms and raises urgent questions about protection of civilians, as the RSF's rival administration seeks legitimacy and its forces threaten other army-held cities.

Watch For

Monitor the RSF advance on el-Obeid, the next major SAF-held city east of el-Fasher, where a similar siege could trigger mass atrocities. Watch for any UN Security Council response to Amnesty's call for an international protection force, and for potential ICC proceedings given the evidence against named RSF commanders like Abu Lulu, Gedo Hamdan Ahmed Mohamed, and Abbas Khater Bhakit. The RSF's denial of Abu Lulu's return to command and the status of his detention will indicate internal command dynamics. Humanitarian access and famine conditions in Darfur—already at IPC Phase 5 in parts—may worsen if the fighting shifts or intensifies.