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More than 6,000 radical were killed successful implicit 3 days erstwhile a Sudanese paramilitary radical unleashed “a question of aggravated unit … shocking successful its standard and brutality” successful Sudan's Darfur portion successful precocious October, according to the United Nations.
The Rapid Support Forces' violative to seizure the metropolis of el-Fasher included wide atrocities that magnitude to warfare crimes and imaginable crimes against humanity, the UN Human Rights Office said successful a study released connected Friday (February 13, 2026).
“The wanton violations that were perpetrated by the RSF and allied Arab militia successful the last violative connected el-Fasher underscore that persistent impunity fuels continued cycles of violence,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
The RSF and their allied Arab militias, known arsenic Janjaweed, overran el-Fasher, the Sudanese Army's lone remaining stronghold successful Darfur, connected Oct. 26 and rampaged done the metropolis and its surroundings aft much than 18 months of siege.
The 29-page UN study elaborate a acceptable of atrocities that ranged from wide killings and summary executions, intersexual violence, abductions for ransom, torture and ill-treatment to detention and disappearances. In galore cases, the attacks were ethnicity-motivated, it said.
The RSF did not respond to an e-mailed petition for comment.
The paramilitaries' Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo has antecedently acknowledged abuses by his fighters, but disputed the standard of atrocities.
'Like a country retired of a fearfulness movie'
The alleged atrocities successful el-Fasher, the provincial superior of North Darfur, reflector a signifier of RSF behaviour successful its warfare against the Sudanese miliary. The warfare began successful April 2023 erstwhile a powerfulness conflict betwixt the 2 sides exploded into unfastened warring successful the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere crossed the country.
The struggle created the world's largest humanitarian situation with parts of the state pushed into famine. It has besides been marked by heinous atrocities which the International Criminal Court said it was investigating arsenic warfare crimes and crimes against humanity. The RSF was besides accused by the Biden medication of carrying retired genocide successful the ongoing war.
The UN Human Rights Office said it documented the sidesplitting of astatine slightest 4,400 radical wrong el-Fasher betwixt Oct. 25 and Oct. 27, portion much than 1,600 others were killed arsenic they were trying to fly the RSF rampage. The study said it drew its toll from interviews with 140 victims and witnesses which were “are accordant with autarkic investigation of contemporaneous outer imagery and video footage." In 1 case, RSF fighters opened occurrence from dense weapons connected a assemblage of 1,000 radical sheltering successful the Rashid dormitory successful el-Fasher assemblage connected Oct. 26, sidesplitting astir 500 people, the study said. One witnesser was quoted arsenic saying that helium saw bodies thrown into the air, “like a country retired of a fearfulness movie,” according to the report.
In different case, astir 600 people, including 50 children, were executed connected Oct. 26 portion taking structure successful the assemblage facilities, the study said.
The report, however, warned that the existent standard of the decease toll of the week-long violative successful el-Fasher was “undoubtedly importantly higher.” The toll does not see astatine slightest 460 radical who were killed by the RSF connected Oct. 28 erstwhile they stormed the Saudi Maternity hospital, according to the World Health Organization.
Around 300 radical were besides killed successful RSF shelling and drone attacks betwixt Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 successful the Abu Shouk campy for displaced people, 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) northwest of el-Fasher, the U.N. Human Rights Office' study said.
Woman and girls sexually assaulted
Sexual violence, including rape and pack rape, was seemingly wide during el-Fasher offensive, with RSF fighters and their allied militias targeting women and girls from the African Zaghawa non-Arab tribes implicit allegations of having links oregon supporting the miliary, the study said.
Türk, who visited Sudan past month, said survivors of intersexual unit recounted testimonies that showed however the signifier “was systematically utilized arsenic a limb of war.” The paramilitaries besides abducted galore radical portion attempting to fly the city, earlier releasing them aft paying ramson. Thousands person been held successful astatine slightest 10 detention centers — including the city's Children Hospital which was turned into a detention installation — tally by the RSF successful el-Fasher, the study said.
The UN Human Rights Office besides said it documented 10 detention facilities utilized by the paramilitaries successful el-Fasher, including the Children's Hospital which was turned into a detention center. Several thousands of radical stay missing and unaccounted for, the study said.
The signifier of the RSF violative connected el-Fasher was a reflector of different attacks by the paramilitaries and their allies connected the Zamzam campy for displaced people, 15 kilometres southbound of the city, and connected West Darfur's metropolis of Geneina and the adjacent municipality of Ardamata successful 2023, the UN Human Rights Office said.
Mr. Türk said determination were “reasonable grounds” that RSF and their allied Arab militias committed warfare crimes, and that their acts besides magnitude to crimes against humanity.
He called for holding those liable — including commanders — accountable, informing that “persistent impunity fuels continued cycles of violence.”
