Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have allegedly committed numerous crimes against humanity during their siege of the city of el-Fasher in Darfur, according to a UN report.
The UN Fact-Finding Mission report accuses the RSF of 'murder, torture, enslavement, rape, sexual slavery, sexual violence, forced displacement, and persecution' based on ethnic, gender, and political grounds.
Instances of war crimes by both the RSF and the Sudanese army were reported, yet both factions have denied allegations of wrongdoing amidst the ongoing civil war.
Fact-Finding Mission chair, Mohamed Chande Othman, stated that civilians were deliberately targeted through multiple atrocities, including summary executions and torture in detention facilities, making a clear distinction between these acts and accidental tragedies.
The RSF's actions reportedly include the use of starvation as a method of warfare, potentially amounting to extermination. Recently, the RSF stormed the Zamzam camp near el-Fasher, displacing tens of thousands of already vulnerable individuals.
El-Fasher has remained besieged for over a year, serving as a critical stronghold for the Sudanese army in Darfur. The situation has escalated tensions, with the US accusing the RSF of genocide against non-Arab populations, though the RSF deflects blame onto local militias.
The US has imposed sanctions on Sudanese army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, deeming him responsible for civilian deaths and the strategic use of food deprivation as a weapon of war.
Recent satellite research from Yale University indicates efforts by the RSF to encircle and trap civilians, while the UN calls for an international arms embargo and the establishment of an independent judicial process to ensure accountability for these alleged crimes.
'Civilians are paying the highest price in this war,' Mr. Othman concluded, highlighting the dire humanitarian crisis that has seen tens of thousands killed and over 13 million displaced across Sudan.
