Geneva, October 29 (Darfur24)
The UN Human Rights Office said it had received multiple disturbing reports that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed atrocities, including summary executions, after seizing control of El Fasher in North Darfur and Bara in North Kordofan State.
“In El Fasher, initial reports indicate an extremely dangerous situation since the Rapid Support Forces announced their control of the army’s 6th Infantry Division,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a statement on Tuesday.
Türk warned that the risk of further widespread, ethnically motivated violations and atrocities in El Fasher is growing, calling for urgent action to protect civilians and ensure safe passage for those fleeing the city.
He said the UN had received reports of summary executions of civilians trying to escape, some allegedly targeted on ethnic grounds, as well as killings of individuals no longer participating in hostilities.
“Multiple graphic videos received by the UN Human Rights Office show dozens of unarmed men being shot or lying dead, surrounded by RSF fighters accusing them of being Sudanese army soldiers,” the statement said.
The UN also reported that hundreds of people, including a journalist, had been detained while attempting to flee, warning of a high risk of sexual violence, particularly against women and girls.
The Office said numerous civilians, including local humanitarian volunteers, were killed during heavy shelling between October 22 and 26, though casualty numbers remain unclear due to the communications blackout and mass displacement.
It also received reports that RSF fighters summarily executed five men accused of bringing food into El Fasher, which has been under siege for 18 months.
In Bara, the UN said it had documented similar executions of civilians by RSF fighters following their capture of the city on October 25.
Türk urged the RSF to take “urgent and concrete steps” to stop and prevent further violations, including revenge and ethnically motivated attacks. He reminded RSF commanders of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid — a commitment the group publicly pledged just days earlier.
The High Commissioner emphasized that international law prohibits violence against individuals who are hors de combat (no longer taking part in fighting) and forbids the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
Türk called on member states with influence to act immediately to prevent further atrocities and press all parties to end the conflict, stressing that accountability is crucial to breaking Sudan’s cycle of violence and impunity.