The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemned the attacks carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), supported by the United Arab Emirates, and the widespread violations they are committing in the city of Al-Fasher and its surrounding areas in North Darfur, Sudan.
A statement issued by the UN office mentioned that recent days have seen an increase in civilian casualties, attacks on humanitarian workers, and a disturbing rise in cases of sexual violence, as the RSF intensifies its assaults on the city and nearby displaced persons' camps.
The High Commissioner’s office confirmed that at least 129 civilians were killed between 20 and 24 April 2025 in Al-Fasher, the Um Kadada area, and the Abu Shouk displaced persons camp.
The office also stated that at least 481 civilians have been killed in North Darfur since 10 April, although the actual death toll is likely much higher.
Furthermore, the recent attacks have caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, most of whom have been displaced for the second or third time after being previously forced out during earlier rounds of conflict. These displaced persons are facing dire humanitarian conditions in areas like Tola, Dar Al-Salam, and other towns, as restrictions on the delivery of life-saving aid continue.
The High Commissioner expressed alarm over the increasing number of civilian casualties and widespread reports of sexual violence, describing these as horrific. He also voiced deep concern over the ongoing attacks on humanitarian and medical workers, which violate international law and exacerbate the difficulty of accessing healthcare services.
Turk further reported that testimonies have been received about the abduction of individuals from the Zamzam displaced persons camp and about women, girls, and boys being raped both individually and collectively inside the camp or while attempting to flee the attacks.
He added that the fate of many people trapped inside the camp remains unknown. Turk stressed the need to allow civilians "to leave Al-Fasher and surrounding areas safely and must be protected wherever they go."
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a war due to a power struggle between the regular army leadership and the RSF. On 6 March 2025, the Sudanese government filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing the UAE of violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide by providing military, financial, and logistical support to the RSF, which is accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against the Masalit group in the Darfur region, including mass killings, rape, forced displacement, and sieges.