RSF Violence Engulfs el-Fasher

Darfur Descends into a Darker Hell as Militia Victory Unleashes Mass Atrocities

The commander of Sudan's paramilitary organisation, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has announced a formal inquiry into violations his fighters allegedly performed when they took control of el-Fasher. This declaration from Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a figure widely known as Hemedti, followed a wave of reports about civilian deaths after the RSF overran the city in the Darfur territory. His statement was a reaction to global condemnation fuelled by videos that appeared to document large-scale killings, recorded by his own paramilitaries and circulated online. The RSF later provided new footage, claiming it showed the detention of a fighter who was accused of performing executions.

A Sceptical Global Community

The RSF's promises have been met with profound scepticism from the global community. The United Nations' most senior humanitarian figure, Tom Fletcher, underscored the glaring disparity between the RSF's pledges to safeguard non-combatants and the terrible information coming from the area. During a session of the UN Security Council, he demanded that those who commit murders and sexual assaults must be held responsible, along with the individuals issuing commands. Fletcher also directly suggested that nations supplying the armaments should examine their own complicity in the catastrophe. The United Kingdom, which coordinates Sudan policy at the UN, convened the urgent meeting, where Stephen Doughty, who serves as a minister in the Foreign Office, described the level of human misery as "unconscionable" and cited growing proof that unprotected citizens were being killed and tormented.

Formal Condemnation from the UN

Following this, the UN Security Council delivered a formal denunciation of the el-Fasher assault. The council called for safe routes for people attempting to escape the beleaguered city and repeated its resolute position of not acknowledging the RSF’s attempt to form a rival administration. This international unity signals deep alarm over the paramilitary organisation's brutal offensive and its ruinous effects on ordinary people. The council's clear support for Sudan's sovereignty and integrity serves as an unmistakable warning to the RSF and its foreign sponsors that their conduct will not gain legitimacy on the world stage. The insistence on justice for all wrongdoers highlights a dedication to international law, even if its application remains a significant challenge.

Verified Atrocities on Video

Independent reviews of video captured in el-Fasher have substantiated the killing of several unarmed individuals by RSF fighters. Human Rights Watch confirmed that numerous videos shared online depict RSF combatants committing extrajudicial killings and other grave abuses against residents fleeing the capital of North Darfur. This digital proof supports the dreadful eyewitness reports emerging from the city, revealing a bleak reality of the violence that erupted after the city fell on 26 October 2025. The capture followed an 18-month blockade that had already produced famine-like situations in displacement camps. Unlawful assaults on escaping civilians have generated grave concern for the thousands who are still unable to leave.

The Hospital Massacre

One of the most ghastly accounts involves a purported massacre inside el-Fasher’s final operational medical centre. The World Health Organization (WHO), an agency of the UN, communicated its profound horror over news that upwards of 460 civilians, which included both patients and those visiting them, were fatally shot at the Saudi Maternity Hospital. An RSF representative refuted claims that the organisation had killed individuals at the medical facility, claiming all medical centres were closed when the group entered the city. This assertion, however, is disputed by many sources, including health workers and international monitors, who say the hospital was functioning until it was attacked.

Corroborating Satellite Evidence

The stories of a massacre are further bolstered by satellite photography analysis. Researchers affiliated with the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab reported that satellite data reveals what looks like clusters of bodies within the hospital's perimeter, which lends credibility to the stories of large-scale homicides. The lab’s assessment mentioned the emergence of three groupings of white objects, matching the size of human bodies, as well as "reddish discoloration on the ground" in photographs captured after the city was taken. This remotely gathered information offers vital, impartial confirmation of the brutality and disputes the denials made by the RSF. The academics also uncovered proof of killings at a former children’s hospital that was being used as a detention centre.

Doctors Bear Witness to Horror

Medical professionals in the area have supplied damning evidence. Mohamad Faisal, who represents the UK-based Sudan Doctors Network, confirmed that an attack occurred at el-Fasher's Saudi Hospital, describing what their personnel observed as utterly appalling. He explained how RSF combatants moved methodically through the hospital's patient rooms, killing people receiving care, before moving to outpatient sections to slay people awaiting appointments. According to the network's collected data, around 450 individuals were killed inside the medical facility, a figure that includes 200 inpatients plus another 250 outpatients and their companions. These reports from frontline medical workers depict a calculated and brutal attack on a place that should be a safe haven.

A Perilous Escape Route

The violence has pushed thousands into a hazardous attempt to get away from the carnage. Dr Faisal shared the harrowing experience of his colleagues over three days, some of whom made it to Tawila, a town located around 60 kilometres from el-Fasher. The UN says over 36,000 individuals have fled to Tawila since the city's collapse, most travelling by foot. This three-to-four-day trek is filled with risk, as RSF combatants are said to target those trying to get away. The mass flight has sparked a new humanitarian emergency in Tawila, a location already providing shelter for more than 652,000 displaced people, straining its limited capacity to the breaking point.

Testimonies of Trauma and Abuse

Humanitarian workers in Tawila are helping thousands of severely traumatised people. Caroline Bouvard of the aid organisation Solidarités International depicted the arrivals as being in an extremely fragile state, frequently having experienced mistreatment, assault, and extortion during their journey. She explained to BBC Newsday that her group had received numerous verifications of rape and gender-motivated attacks, and had additionally verified the latest reports of on-the-spot killings. These direct accounts from survivors and relief workers highlight the methodical cruelty being used by the RSF, not only within the city but also on the escape paths, making the flight for safety another phase of terror.

Image credit - by Government.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hemedti’s Hollow Promises

Confronted with growing proof, Gen Dagalo stated his regret for the tragedy and conceded that his forces had committed offences, promising a newly formed committee would conduct an inquiry. However, many observers are doubtful, citing a track record of unkept vows. Similar pledges were issued after a bloody rampage in el-Geneina, a Darfuri city, during 2023 and after supposed brutal acts when the group took over the central Gezira state, but no real justice ever came. This habit of acknowledging "abuses" only after a global outcry, with no follow-up, has caused many to see the latest declaration as a cynical manoeuvre to deflect blame rather than a sincere move toward accountability.

A Pattern of Ethnic Violence

The events in el-Fasher are not seen as random acts but rather as part of a grim, repeating pattern. The RSF has frequently claimed the violence is not motivated by ethnicity. But these denials are contradicted by the group’s own origins. The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militias, notorious for carrying out ethnic cleansing against non-Arab groups in Darfur two decades ago. Human Rights Watch has previously found that the RSF committed crimes against humanity in a campaign aimed at the Massalit and other non-Arab groups in el-Geneina, suggesting the possibility of genocide. The current brutality in el-Fasher seems to be a continuation of this dark history.

The United Arab Emirates Connection

Campaigners are escalating their appeals for the world to pressure the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which faces frequent accusations of providing military and financial backing to the RSF. The UAE persistently rejects these allegations, claiming it only delivers humanitarian assistance. However, UN documentation and independent inquiries have shown evidence to the contrary. Information provided to the UN Security Council allegedly documents UK-manufactured military gear, such as targeting equipment and vehicle engines, being used by the RSF after it was exported to the UAE. Many see this outside help as a crucial element that extends the conflict and facilitates the RSF's violent campaign.

Strategic Capture, National Division

The city of el-Fasher was the final major outpost of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) across the entire western territory of Darfur. Its capture by the RSF after a severe 18-month blockade characterised by hunger and intense bombardment represents a significant strategic win for the paramilitary organisation. The fall of the city solidifies a territorial division, with the RSF controlling western Sudan and a large portion of the south, while the army retains Khartoum, the capital, and central and eastern areas that line the Red Sea. This de facto division of the country aggravates the crisis and makes any future attempt at creating a single, peaceful state more difficult.

The Genesis of a Brutal War

The ongoing conflict is the ruinous result of a failed partnership. The fighting factions were once partners, having taken power jointly in a 2021 military coup that stopped a delicate shift toward democracy. Their relationship fractured over a globally supported proposal to absorb the RSF into the national military and transition to non-military governance. This power contest between Gen al-Burhan of the SAF and Gen Dagalo of the RSF exploded into full-scale war in April 2023, sending the country into the planet's most severe humanitarian emergency, with almost 25 million people now facing extreme hunger.

African Union Demands Action

The African Union's Peace and Security Council has echoed the UN's demands, denouncing the brutality and demanding the immediate creation of aid corridors to get life-saving supplies to people stuck in el-Fasher. The AU has also insisted on a rapid inquiry to ensure the perpetrators of the violence are held accountable. The council issued a strong condemnation of any external meddling that stokes the conflict and rejected the RSF's creation of a rival government, imploring the world not to give it any form of recognition. These demands from the continent's main political body add considerable force to the global pressure on the warring sides.

Acknowledging a Deeper Malaise

Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, who is the chair for an AU panel on Sudan, explained to the BBC that inquiries alone will not provide comfort to those in distress. He said that for a period exceeding 500 days, the residents of el-Fasher had experienced what he termed "hell on Earth." Dr Chambas highlighted the AU's consistent stance that there cannot be an armed resolution to Sudan's conflict. He underscored the necessity of engaging with non-military and political organizations to hold a broad, all-Sudanese dialogue to confront the core problems that have troubled the country for many years.

The Unaddressed Root Causes

The current war is a manifestation of a much older, historic issue, according to Dr Chambas. He contended that Sudan's inability to manage its diversity has been a core component of the repeated emergencies the nation has faced since it became independent in 1956. This viewpoint implies that any lasting peace will demand more than a truce between the current fighters. It will require a profound political reconciliation that deals with long-held complaints about exclusion, marginalisation, and the imbalanced concentration of authority and wealth, which have repeatedly fractured the nation.

The World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis

The conflict has produced a humanitarian disaster on a colossal scale. Sudan is now home to the planet's largest displacement emergency, with approximately 14 million people out of a population of 51 million driven from their homes. Famine is rampant, made worse by both sides blocking aid shipments, and lethal illnesses like cholera are spreading uncontrollably. The UN has issued warnings that the brutality being committed could constitute numerous crimes under international law. Despite the magnitude of the disaster, global focus has often been elsewhere, prompting senior figures like Tom Fletcher to call it a failure of global attention.

The Horrors of Sexual Violence

Organised sexual violence has become a hallmark of the conflict, employed as a tool of war by RSF combatants. The UN human rights agency has received disturbing information from aid partners describing mass rapes. In one reported case, a minimum of 25 women were gang-raped when RSF fighters stormed a displaced persons' shelter near el-Fasher University. Eyewitnesses confirmed that RSF members chose women and girls, raping them while threatening them with weapons. This deliberate targeting of females causes unimaginable suffering and is used to terrorise and break apart communities, leaving profound wounds that will endure for generations.

The Future of Sudan

With the collapse of el-Fasher, Sudan faces a dangerous new chapter. The RSF's tightening grip on the west moves the country closer to a permanent breakup, a situation that risks unending conflict and turmoil. The international reaction, while strong in its rhetoric, has so far not stopped the violence or brought the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice. The appeals for a return to peace talks persist, but with the military situation on the ground having changed so profoundly, the chances for a peaceful, whole Sudan seem more remote than ever. The well-being of millions is at stake, hinging on a political resolve that has been tragically missing.