UN Rights Chief Blames RSF for Crimes in El Fasher
Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, Turk said that following 18 months marked by siege conditions, hunger, and sustained shelling, RSF forces launched what he described as "intense violence" against the city, resulting in thousands of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of residents.
According to survivor testimonies, the violence included large-scale killings, executions without trial, sexual abuse, torture, kidnappings for ransom, and assaults on medical personnel and facilities.
"The threat was clear, but warnings were not heeded. Responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies squarely with the RSF and their allies and supporters," Turk said.
"The international community must do better. If we stand by, wringing our hands while armies and armed groups commit well-flagged international crimes, we can only expect worse to come," he added.
Turk noted that after recent visits to Sudan and eastern Chad, his office conducted interviews with more than 140 victims and eyewitnesses to the violence.
Accounts gathered by investigators pointed to organized sexual violence, attacks aimed at non-Arab ethnic communities, and disturbing scenes such as bodies left along roads leading out of El Fasher.
Reports also indicated that children were recruited by RSF forces, while thousands of civilians are still unaccounted for—either missing, held in harsh detention conditions, or transferred to facilities including the Tagris prison in South Darfur.
The UN rights chief warned that comparable abuses could soon unfold in Sudan’s Kordofan region, where clashes have intensified since El Fasher fell.
His office recorded around 90 civilian deaths and 142 injuries over slightly more than two weeks, largely caused by drone strikes carried out by both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, according to reports.
Turk stressed the need for swift international intervention, urging the expansion of the Darfur arms embargo to cover all of Sudan, stronger civilian protection measures, an end to attacks on civilian infrastructure, and increased backing for local mediation initiatives.
He also said a more detailed briefing on the situation in Sudan will be presented to the Human Rights Council on February 26.
The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has led to thousands of deaths and forced millions of people from their homes.
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