Amnesty accuses RSF of Darfur crimes against humanity

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed crimes against humanity and carried out ethnic cleansing during their brutal campaign to seize el-Fasher, according to a major new Amnesty International report. The findings pile fresh pressure on the group as Sudan's devastating civil war enters its third year, with millions displaced and mounting international calls for accountability.

Siege Turned Into Campaign of Terror

Amnesty said the RSF committed murder, torture, rape, sexual slavery, forced displacement, persecution and extermination during its 18-month assault on el-Fasher in Sudan's western Darfur region. Drawing on testimony from more than 200 survivors, satellite imagery and open-source video analysis, the rights group said the evidence could be relevant to investigations into genocide.

The RSF has not responded directly to the latest report but has previously denied allegations of war crimes and insisted claims about the scale of atrocities are exaggerated.

blood splatter from RSF massacres in Sudan visible from space

Imagery published by Yale University shows ground discolouration consistent with blood in el-Fash

Ethnic Violence at the Heart of Assault

According to Amnesty, many civilians were targeted because of their ethnic identity. Arab RSF fighters allegedly singled out members of non-Arab communities, particularly the Zaghawa ethnic group, while using racist slurs during attacks.

Witnesses described mass killings, widespread sexual violence and the deliberate targeting of children. Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard said children were not caught in the crossfire but were often intentionally attacked, abducted, raped or forcibly recruited.

Survivors Describe Brutal Attacks

One 17-year-old survivor told investigators he was tied up, beaten with sticks and rifle butts before being shot in the leg. He said eight of his cousins, including four boys aged between 11 and 17, were killed in the same assault in Abu Zerega, south of el-Fasher.

Amnesty said it has identified RSF commanders allegedly responsible for serious violations of international law and is demanding criminal accountability.

Pressure Mounts as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The report adds to growing international evidence of atrocities in Darfur. The UN has previously warned that violence in el-Fasher bore the "hallmarks of genocide" and said more than 6,000 people were killed during just three days of fighting.

Sudan's war between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced more than 14 million and left around 28 million facing acute hunger. Amnesty is calling for an immediate ceasefire and an international force to protect civilians as diplomatic pressure grows on foreign backers of the conflict.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9lqvx0z1vo

Blood splatter from RSF massacres in Sudan visible from space | Middle East Eye