Amnesty International has accused the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during their attack on El-Fasher city between 2024 and 2025. The report, released Wednesday, details systematic violence against the Zaghawa ethnic group and widespread atrocities including executions, torture, and sexual violence.
Report Findings and Methodology
Amnesty's investigation, based on interviews with 247 victims and witnesses conducted between early 2024 and October 2025 in North Darfur, found that the RSF systematically attacked settlements around El-Fasher housing the Zaghawa people. The report alleges widespread and deliberate violence against children, including killing, abductions, forced recruitment, and rape.
“It is a stain on the conscience of humanity,” said Amnesty chief Agnes Callamard in a statement. The report notes that RSF fighters burned homes long after residents had fled, “suggesting an intent to render the areas uninhabitable,” consistent with “ethnic cleansing.”
Scale of Violence
During the final RSF offensive on El-Fasher in October 2025, Amnesty said “hundreds were executed, and many others were tortured or detained” as they attempted to flee. The violations occurred “repeatedly and on a large scale,” and the report suggests “those in positions of authority knew, or should have known, what was occurring, and failed to stop it or hold anyone accountable.”
Amnesty stressed that its investigation is ongoing and noted that such acts “may be relevant to the crime of genocide.” The findings echo a UN independent fact-finding mission in February, which concluded that the 2025 assault on El-Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide.”
Broader Context
Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal war since April 2023 between the army and the RSF, which has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee, according to the United Nations. Both sides have been accused of atrocities. The report comes as the UN Human Rights Council held a debate over El-Obeid city in North Kordofan, where there are fears of an imminent RSF assault after weeks of intense attacks.
Amnesty International urged an immediate ceasefire and deployment of an international force to protect civilians, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability and protection of vulnerable populations.
