Sudan’s RSF Arrests Fighters Over El-Fasher Abuses As UN Demands Probe Into ‘Horrendous Atrocities’
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have announced the arrest of several of their fighters accused of committing grave human rights abuses during the capture of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, even as the United Nations called for an urgent and independent investigation into mounting reports of atrocities in the war-ravaged city.
In a statement released late Thursday, the RSF said it had detained several men for alleged “violations committed during the liberation of El-Fasher,” among them a fighter identified as Abu Lulu, who appeared in multiple videos on social media depicting acts of extreme violence.
One video verified by AFP reportedly shows Abu Lulu executing unarmed men at close range, while another clip features him standing amid celebrating fighters near what appear to be dozens of corpses and burnt-out vehicles.
The arrests come days after the RSF seized full control of El-Fasher on Sunday, ending an 18-month siege that had trapped hundreds of thousands of civilians without adequate food, water, or medical care. The capture of the city effectively eliminated the Sudanese army’s last major foothold in the vast Darfur region, long scarred by ethnic and political violence.
Survivors who fled to the nearby town of Tawila recounted to AFP horrifying scenes of mass killings, looting, and abuse. Witnesses said RSF fighters opened fire on civilians attempting to flee, including children, while others were beaten and robbed of their belongings.
Reacting to the reports, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday condemned the “horrendous accounts” emerging from El-Fasher and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
“The scale of brutality described by survivors is appalling,” said a UN spokesperson, urging both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces to allow unhindered humanitarian access and to protect civilians in accordance with international law.
The conflict between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti), erupted in April 2023 and has since plunged the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
More than 12 million people have been displaced, and tens of thousands are believed to have been killed, with Darfur again emerging as a focal point of ethnic-based violence reminiscent of the early 2000s genocide.
International observers warn that the fall of El-Fasher could mark a dangerous escalation in Sudan’s conflict, potentially paving the way for further atrocities as rival forces vie for dominance in the country’s west.
