Amnesty International Accuses RSF of Crimes Against Humanity in North Darfur
Amnesty International has concluded that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed eight crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and sexual slavery, during a campaign to seize El Fasher in North Darfur. The organization’s report, “City Under Siege, Children Under Fire,” alleges the RSF implemented a “playbook of atrocities” targeting non-Arab communities and children between early 2024 and October 2025.
What crimes were documented in El Fasher?
The 200-page report identifies a systematic pattern of violence used by the RSF against civilians. According to Amnesty International, the RSF committed crimes against humanity including extermination, enslavement, forcible transfer, and imprisonment. The organization specifically highlighted the persecution of Zaghawa civilians, who were targeted based on ethnicity and gender.
The report documents an 18-month siege of El Fasher where the RSF restricted food and humanitarian supplies to engineer starvation. Amnesty International reported that the RSF intentionally targeted children through abduction and forced recruitment, and subjected women and girls to mass-scale rape and sexual slavery. In Abu Zerega and surrounding villages, approximately 35km south of El Fasher, the report describes the implementation of ethnic cleansing.
Which commanders are held responsible?
Amnesty International named three specific commanders as criminally responsible for the violations. Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known as Abu Lulu, is accused of the mass execution of captives in civilian clothing. While reportedly arrested by RSF leadership in October 2025, a May 2026 Reuters report indicated Idris returned to the battlefield in Kordofan in March 2026.
The organization also named Major General Gedo Hamdan Ahmed Mohamed (Abu Shouk), who allegedly directed interrogations and participated in torture, and Lieutenant Colonel Abbas Khater Bakhit, who was seen ordering the torture of prisoners and facilitating payments.
How are foreign weapons fueling the conflict?
Amnesty International reports that manufactured weapons from China, Russia, Türkiye, and the UAE have been transferred into Sudan, often breaching the Darfur arms embargo. The organization also noted the use of French-manufactured weapon systems on the battlefield.
The report identifies the UAE as the principal military, diplomatic, and political backer of the RSF. Amnesty International claims the UAE shielded the RSF from sanctions. Additionally, the organization cited a UK Parliamentary Committee report stating the British government bowed to private pressure from the UAE to avoid publicly disclosing Emirati and Ethiopian support for the RSF during the siege of El Fasher.
What actions is Amnesty International demanding?
Amnesty International is calling for an immediate nationwide ceasefire and the deployment of an independent international force to protect civilians. The organization demands that the UN Security Council expand the existing Darfur arms embargo to cover the entire country.
The organization’s recommendations include:
- Immediate cessation of arms and ammunition transfers to all parties by all states.
- The suspension of EU-UAE Free-Trade and Strategic Partnership Agreements unless linked to measurable human rights benchmarks.
- Investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and countries utilizing Universal Jurisdiction, specifically calling on the Kenyan Public Prosecutor to investigate under the International Crimes Act of 2008.
- Increased funding for the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which Amnesty notes is currently only 31% funded despite pledges made at an April 2026 conference in Berlin.
The organization warned that the tactics used in El Fasher may be repeated in El Obeid and the South Kordofan towns of Kadugli and Dilling if the international community fails to intervene.
