Geneva, September 25 (Darfur24)
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has strongly condemned a deadly drone strike allegedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Al-Safiya Mosque and surrounding homes in El Fasher, North Darfur, on September 19.
The Mission said the attack, which occurred during dawn prayers, killed at least 75 worshippers, including children, and injured many others. It described the strike as the most devastating in a series of assaults on religious and cultural sites since the outbreak of war in Sudan.
“Killing civilians, including children, while in prayer in a mosque shows a blatant disregard for the most fundamental principles of international law,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. “Those responsible must be held accountable.”
In a report to the UN Human Rights Council on September 8, the Mission said it had received credible allegations of similar attacks on places of worship by both warring parties — including RSF shelling of churches in El Fasher and Sudanese Armed Forces bombings of mosques and a Baptist church in Wad Madani and Khartoum.
“Places of worship should be sanctuaries, not targets,” said expert member Joy Ngozi Ezeilo. “This strike deepens the trauma of communities already suffering starvation, displacement, and sexual violence. The world cannot look away while civilians are attacked in their most sacred spaces.”
The Mission warned that such attacks may amount to war crimes under international law, stressing that religious and cultural sites must never be targeted unless they serve military purposes — a claim that requires proof from the attacking party.
“Sudan’s rich and diverse religious and cultural tapestry forms part of its shared heritage,” said expert member Mona Rishmawi. “Deliberate attacks on worshippers, mosques, churches, and cultural sites risk erasing identity and dignity. The International Criminal Court has already held individuals accountable for such acts in other conflicts.”
The Mission urged all parties to take immediate and concrete steps to protect civilians and safeguard religious and cultural property.
“Every day of delay results in more bloodshed,” Othman warned. “Justice and protection demand urgent action.”