Amnesty Reports RSF Atrocities in el‑Fasher as Potential Crimes Against Humanity

Amnesty International says Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters committed serious human‑rights abuses during the 18‑month siege of el‑Fasher.

“Children were not incidental victims; they were deliberately targeted, suffering killings, injuries, rape, abduction, and forced recruitment on a massive scale,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary‑general.

The organization’s report, based on accounts from over 200 survivors, states that the evidence could be relevant to investigations of genocide.

“They tied me up, beat me with sticks and the back of an AK‑47, then a rider on a camel shot me in the leg,” recalled a 17‑year‑old survivor from Abu Zerega, a town south of el‑Fasher. He now walks with crutches and said eight of his cousins, including four boys aged 11 to 17, were killed in the same assault.

Amnesty researchers examined 89 open‑source videos and satellite imagery of North Darfur, finding that many victims were attacked because of their ethnic identity.

According to the rights group, Arab RSF fighters used slurs such as “slave” or “servant” while targeting members of non‑Arab communities.

Arab militias linked to the RSF have a long history of violence against Black African groups in Darfur. In el‑Fasher, defenders were largely from the Zaghawa ethnic group, whom RSF forces attacked alongside combatants.

Witnesses described mass killings, sexual violence, and the intentional targeting of children.

Callamard warned that the world was alerted to the horrors civilians faced as the RSF besieged the city, calling the situation “a stain on the conscience of humanity.” She urged an immediate ceasefire and the rapid deployment of an international force to protect civilians.

Amnesty identified RSF commanders it says are responsible for violations of international law and emphasized the need for accountability.

The RSF leadership has acknowledged some violations and claims to be investigating them, while arguing that the scope of the atrocities is exaggerated.

The report adds to growing evidence of crimes in el‑Fasher, which the United Nations previously described as bearing “the hallmarks of genocide.”

More than 6,000 people were killed in a three‑day assault on el‑Fasher, according to UN figures, and the conflict has contributed to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, displacing over 14 million people and leaving 28 million facing acute hunger.

Additional reporting by Kaleb Moges

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