A UN investigation says the Rapid Support Forces assault on al-Fashir, in western Sudan, showed signs of genocide, citing mass killings, coordinated attacks and exterminatory language targeting non-Arab groups.
An independent UN fact-finding mission said mass killings of non-Arab communities when the Rapid Support Forces captured al-Fashir bore hallmarks pointing to genocide.
The report said the RSF seized the city at the end of October - the last remaining stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces in Darfur - after an 18-month siege during which thousands were killed and raped in three days of intense violence.
Investigators said the RSF imposed conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of non-Arab groups, in particular the Zaghawa and the Fur.
The mission found evidence of coordinated and repeated targeting based on ethnicity, gender and perceived political affiliation, including mass killings, rape, torture and conditions aimed at destroying the group in whole or in part.
The final draft of the report was shared with the Government of Sudan but no reply was received. The RSF did not meet with the investigators.
The RSF has previously denied such abuses and accused its enemies of fabricating accounts.
Evidence of intent and impact on communities
Mohamad Chande Othman, chair of the mission, said the scale, coordination and public endorsement by senior RSF leadership showed the crimes were not random excesses of conflict.
He said: "They formed part of a planned and organised operation that bears the defining characteristics of genocide."
Before the takeover, al-Fashir was mainly populated by Zaghawa residents, while camps around the city housed the Fur community, along with the Berti, Masalit, and Tama groups.
Survivors described explicit threats to "clean" the city. The report said witnesses heard RSF fighters say: "Is there anyone Zaghawa among you? If we find Zaghawa, we will kill them all."
The investigation detailed drone and heavy weapon attacks on camps, kitchens and medical centres, along with killings, looting, beatings and sexual violence.
Accounts described bodies of men, women and children in the streets and point-blank executions of civilians.
Women and girls aged 7 to 70 from non-Arab communities, particularly the Zaghawa, were raped and subjected to whipping and forced nudity.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the findings were horrific and urged an immediate ceasefire. She said the atrocities included systematic starvation, torture, killings, rape and deliberate ethnic targeting during the siege of al-Fashir.
The Human Rights Council established the mission, with backing from countries including Britain, to urgently investigate violations in and around the city.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he sees progress between Israel and Lebanon after talks with Netanyahu, while Hezbollah has rejected a new ceasefire ...
Azerbaijan is once again at the centre of global climate diplomacy, hosting World Environment Day 2026 and bringing together international leaders, po...
Azerbaijan has strongly rejected allegations published by CNN claiming that its territory was used for Israeli military and intelligence operations ag...
The Eighth Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly has concluded in Samarkand, bringing together representatives from 186 countries to set environm...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tchiani in Ankara on Thursday, underscoring Türkiye’s growing engag...
Millions of people in Sudan are surviving on just one meal a day as the country’s worsening hunger crisis pushes communities closer to famine, humanitarian organisations have warned.
Thousands of civilians fled their homes as Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces push through Darfur and Kordofan. Airstrikes and attacks on markets, schools, and camps have left many at risk.
At least 79 civilians, including 43 children, were reported killed and 38 injured after a drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit the city of Kalogi in South Kordofan on Thursday, Sudanese authorities said.
Almost 1,000 Sudanese civilians have fled their homes in North Darfur in a single day due to intensifying insecurity, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said in a statement that its Aerospace Force did not strike the Kuwait Airport passenger terminal on Wednesday, and that the destruction was instead caused by a failed U.S. Patriot missile.
Five Azerbaijani citizens have been killed and three others injured following drone attacks on two cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire after U.S.-backed talks in Washington. The deal requires Hezbollah to halt attacks and withdraw from southern Lebanon, while both sides will resume direct talks later this month aimed at reaching a broader agreement.
As Armenia heads toward parliamentary elections on 7 June, the country's relationship with Azerbaijan is emerging as one of the defining issues of the campaign, with analysts and international observers highlighting the role of regional politics in shaping voters’ mindsets.
Armenia will hold parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026, a vote that will shape the country’s political direction for the next five years. Understanding how the electoral system converts votes into parliamentary power is key to following the outcome and its wider regional implications.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
The next time a goal goes in during a Champions League final, fans around the world could watch it from every angle at once — frozen, rotated and replayed in ways that were impossible only a few years ago.
An ageing, poorly insured shadow armada now accounts for around one-sixth of the world's tanker fleet. Hidden by design and fraught with risk, it operates beyond conventional oversight. A maritime law expert explains how it works, who profits, and why much of the world looks the other way.
Azerbaijan has strongly rejected allegations published by CNN claiming that its territory was used for Israeli military and intelligence operations against Iran, describing the report as entirely baseless and demanding a retraction.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tchiani in Ankara on Thursday, underscoring Türkiye’s growing engagement with Africa’s Sahel region as geopolitical alliances continue to shift.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment