Amnesty International has accused Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing widespread war crimes and ethnic cleansing during their campaign to capture the city of El Fasher in North Darfur. The human rights organization alleges that the RSF engaged in systematic attacks against civilians, including murder, torture, rape, enslavement, and sexual slavery.

The report, published on July 1, is based on interviews with 247 individuals, including 208 survivors of the conflict, as well as analysis of documentary evidence, video materials, and satellite imagery. Amnesty found that between early 2024 and late 2025, the RSF targeted predominantly non-Arab communities, using dehumanizing language that signaled ethnic persecution. The RSF’s actions included the destruction of towns and villages such as Abu Zerega, which Amnesty described as consistent with ethnic cleansing.

The paramilitary force seized El Fasher, the last stronghold of Sudan’s armed forces in North Darfur, in October after an 18-month siege marked by mass killings. Amnesty’s report noted that the abuses led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people and caused widespread displacement, leaving many children orphaned and exposing civilians to significant harm during attacks or attempts to flee.

In the report, Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “The war in Sudan is a war on civilians,” and called the siege of El Fasher “a stain on the conscience of humanity.” She urged the international community to go beyond expressions of concern and implement concrete measures to safeguard civilians and end the cycle of impunity.

An independent United Nations fact-finding mission had earlier stated in February 2026 that the RSF’s takeover of El Fasher bore “hallmarks of genocide” against non-Arab populations.

The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 after a power struggle escalated between the Sudanese armed forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. The ongoing civil war has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, according to various humanitarian assessments.

Amnesty International called for an immediate ceasefire and stressed the urgent need for international intervention to halt the violations and protect vulnerable populations across the country.