The United Nations has condemned the heinous crimes committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), backed by the United Arab Emirates, following their takeover of large parts of the city of Bara, in North Kordofan, as well as several areas of the besieged city of El Fasher, in North Darfur. These acts, perpetrated in recent days, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute. They include summary executions, enforced disappearances, acts of torture, and arbitrary detentions in areas under RSF control.
Alkarama considers that the nature, geographical scope, recurrence, and systematic character of these violations reveal the existence of an organized policy directly targeting civilians. This demands the establishment of independent and effective international investigations, as well as the adoption of binding measures to ensure criminal accountability not only for the direct perpetrators but also for the governments that have supplied weapons, military, and logistical support to the RSF throughout the conflict.
In this context, Alkarama recalls reports from international organizations and human rights groups documenting the involvement of the United Arab Emirates in providing military support to the RSF, an assistance that has enabled them to continue committing large-scale violations. This situation engages the international responsibility of the State concerned, under the principle of complicity in the commission of international crimes.
Volunteer field teams from Alkarama have documented several violations in different regions of Sudan, including cases of enforced disappearances where victims were later found in detention centers controlled by the RSF and subsequently released. The testimonies and information gathered confirm that these violations are systematic and grave, justifying an urgent judicial intervention.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated: “In El Fasher, initial reports indicate an extremely precarious situation since the RSF yesterday announced its takeover of the army’s 6th Infantry Division.” Mr. Türk warned of an increasing risk of large-scale, ethnically motivated atrocities in El Fasher and called for immediate and concrete measures to protect civilians and to ensure safe humanitarian corridors for those attempting to flee.
For his part, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the RSF’s takeover of El Fasher as a “terrifying escalation of the conflict”, urging the international community to speak clearly to all States intervening in the war and supplying arms to the parties involved, and to ensure that they cease all interference. Mr. Guterres added that the problem lies not only in the fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF but also in the growing foreign interference that undermines efforts to reach a ceasefire and a sustainable political solution.
The UN Human Rights Office reported receiving accounts of summary executions of civilians attempting to flee, driven by tribal motives, as well as killings of individuals who had ceased to take part in hostilities.
Alarming videos show dozens of unarmed men being shot or lying lifeless on the ground, surrounded by RSF fighters accusing them of being Sudanese army soldiers.
Other reports mention the detention of hundreds of civilians, including a journalist, as they tried to escape. Given the history of the Darfur and Kordofan regions, the risk of sexual violence against women and girls is considered extremely high.
The Human Rights Office also reported numerous civilian casualties, including local humanitarian volunteers, killed by heavy artillery fire between 22 and 26 October. The exact number of victims remains unknown due to communication blackouts and the large number of displaced persons.
In light of this situation, Alkarama calls for the crimes committed by the RSF in North Kordofan and other regions of Sudan to be referred to the competent international jurisdictions, including the International Criminal Court, and for targeted sanctions to be imposed on the leaders involved and their complicit supporters.
Alkarama also calls for the immediate protection of civilians, unrestricted humanitarian access for independent organizations, and support for mechanisms aimed at locating the disappeared and revealing the fate of all victims of enforced disappearance. Alkarama stresses that any complacency toward these violations would constitute a serious breach of international obligations and reaffirms that accountability for these crimes must not be subject to prescription.
Alkarama will continue documenting and monitoring these crimes before the competent international bodies until justice is served for the victims and impunity comes to an end in Sudan.