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UN Probe Says RSF’s El-Fasher Onslaught Bears Hallmarks of Genocide

Investigators cite coordinated, ethnically targeted atrocities, prompting calls for criminal inquiries.

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Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends the Human Rights Council at the UN European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
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ADRE, CHAD - FEBRUARY 19: Sudanese refugee women wait to collect water after waiting three days on February 19, 2026 in Adre, Chad. In April 2023 civil war erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the armed militia group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The ongoing conflict has so far displaced around 14 million people across the region, triggering a widespread humanitarian crisis, as neighboring countries like Chad struggle to absorb refugees, while coping with populations already suffering high poverty rates and food insecurity. Chad has become Africa's largest host of refugees per capita, hosting a total 1.4 million refugees - more than 900,000 of which fled the conflict in Sudan. The most recent wave of arrivals from Sudan follows the RSF's offensive to capture the north Darfur city of El Fasher, where 6,000 people were reportedly killed by the RSF in the space of three days in October. A recent UN report has accused the RSF of atrocities that amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. As many as 400,000 people have reportedly been killed since the conflict began. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Overview

  • The UN-backed fact-finding mission concluded the RSF’s takeover of el-Fasher displayed genocidal hallmarks through planned, ethnically targeted attacks on Zaghawa and Fur communities.
  • Investigators found at least three acts listed under the Genocide Convention: killings, serious bodily and mental harm, and conditions of life calculated to destroy the groups in whole or in part.
  • The UN Human Rights Office documented more than 6,000 people killed in the first three days of the late-October offensive following an 18-month siege.
  • The mission corroborated findings through 320 witness and victim interviews, field visits to Chad and South Sudan, and verification of 25 videos detailing mass killings and widespread sexual violence.
  • International officials pressed for accountability, with the UK set to raise the report at the UN Security Council, as separate UN reporting this week cited drone strikes in Kordofan that killed at least 57 civilians, including children.