The leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has declared an investigation into what he called violations committed by his soldiers during the capture of el-Fasher. This announcement by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has been prompted by escalating reports of mass civilian killings following the RSF takeover of the city in the Darfur region last Sunday.
The UN Security Council is expected to hold a meeting on Sudan, which is currently facing its third year of civil conflict between the army and the RSF. Hemedti's statement came after international outrage over reports of mass killings in el-Fasher, allegedly documented by RSF fighters on social media.
Hemedti expressed sorrow for the disaster that struck the people of el-Fasher and acknowledged that violations had occurred, vowing that these will be investigated by a committee now stationed in the city. However, observers note that previous promises—following the massacre in el-Geneina in 2023, and allegations of abuses in Gezira—were never fulfilled.
The World Health Organization has expressed shock at claims that over 460 civilians, including patients, were killed at the last functioning hospital in el-Fasher. The RSF denies allegations that the killings were ethnically motivated, asserting that they do not follow a pattern of Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab populations.
Activism for international pressure on the UAE has intensified as it is accused of supporting the RSF militarily, a claim the UAE denies despite evidence in UN reports.
The takeover of el-Fasher marks a pivotal shift, reinforcing the division in Sudan, with the RSF asserting control over the western regions while the army maintains dominance in the capital, Khartoum, and along the Red Sea.
The two factions, allies during a joint coup in 2021, have since fractured over a plan for transitioning to civilian governance.
