UN Reports Over 6000 Deaths During RSF Assault on Sudan's El-Fasher City

A recent UN report indicates that over 6000 individuals were killed during a three-day assault by the Rapid Support Forces in El-Fasher, Sudan. The report highlights severe human rights abuses and calls attention to the ongoing cycle of violence in the region.

In late October, a wave of violence in Sudan's Darfur region resulted in over 6,000 deaths over three days. The United Nations reported that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched an offensive to seize el-Fasher, committing widespread atrocities that may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The UN Human Rights Office highlighted these violations in a report released on Friday.

The RSF and allied Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, took control of el-Fasher on October 26. This city was the last stronghold of the Sudanese army in Darfur. After an 18-month siege, they unleashed violence across the city and its surroundings. The UN report detailed mass killings, sexual violence, abductions for ransom, torture, and disappearances. Many attacks were ethnically motivated.

Humanitarian Crisis and Atrocities

The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese military began in April 2023. It has created a severe humanitarian crisis, pushing parts of Sudan into famine. The International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during this conflict. The Biden administration has accused the RSF of genocide.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, at least 4,400 people were killed in el-Fasher between October 25 and October 27. Over 1,600 others died while trying to escape the RSF's assault. The report's findings are based on interviews with 140 victims and witnesses, supported by satellite imagery and video evidence.

Mass Killings and Sexual Violence

On October 26, RSF fighters reportedly fired heavy weapons at a crowd of 1,000 people sheltering in Rashid dormitory at el-Fasher University, killing around 500 individuals. A witness described seeing bodies thrown into the air like a horror movie scene. In another incident on the same day, approximately 600 people, including 50 children, were executed while seeking refuge at university facilities.

The report also highlighted widespread sexual violence during the offensive. RSF fighters targeted women and girls from African Zaghawa non-Arab tribes over alleged military links or support. Survivors recounted systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Detention Centers and Missing Persons

The RSF abducted many individuals attempting to flee el-Fasher, releasing them only after ransom payments. Thousands remain detained in at least ten centers run by the RSF in el-Fasher, including a converted Children's Hospital. The UN documented these detention facilities and noted that several thousand people are still missing.

The UN report warned that the actual death toll from the week-long offensive is likely much higher than reported figures. It did not include at least 460 people killed by the RSF on October 28 at the Saudi Maternity Hospital or around 300 fatalities from shelling and drone attacks on Abu Shouk camp between October 23 and October 24.

Call for Accountability

The pattern of RSF attacks in el-Fasher mirrors other assaults on displaced persons camps like Zamzam and cities such as Geneina in West Darfur throughout 2023. Volker Türk emphasised that there are reasonable grounds to believe that RSF and their allied militias committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. He urged accountability for those responsible to prevent further cycles of violence.

With inputs from PTI