KHARTOUM – The head of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has announced an investigation into alleged abuses by his troops following their capture of the key Darfur city of el-Fasher, amid widespread reports of mass civilian killings.
Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, said the RSF would investigate “violations” committed during the takeover and bring those responsible to justice.
His announcement followed international outrage after verified videos emerged showing RSF fighters executing unarmed civilians around el-Fasher.
Footage Verified by BBC
BBC Verify confirmed that one of the men seen in the execution videos — identified online as “Abu Lulu” — was filmed shooting several unarmed people near the city.
New footage released by the RSF on Wednesday, and geolocated by BBC Verify to Shala Prison on the outskirts of el-Fasher, shows the same man being escorted by RSF fighters and placed in a jail cell.
Despite the RSF’s claims of accountability, humanitarian officials and foreign governments have expressed deep skepticism.
UN: ‘Appalling News from Darfur’
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told an emergency session of the Security Council that RSF assurances to protect civilians were “at odds with the appalling news coming out of the region.”
“There must be accountability for those carrying out the killings and sexual violence,” Fletcher said. “And those providing the weapons should consider their responsibility.”
British Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty, who called for the meeting, described the suffering in Sudan as “unconscionable,” citing reports of ethnically targeted violence and gender-based assaults.
Security Council Condemnation
In a statement issued late Wednesday, the UN Security Council condemned the RSF’s assault on el-Fasher and demanded safe passage for civilians fleeing the city. The Council also reaffirmed that it would not recognise the RSF’s self-declared parallel government.
RSF Denies Ethnic Killings
An RSF spokesman denied claims that more than 400 people were killed at a hospital in el-Fasher on Tuesday and rejected allegations that the violence was ethnically motivated.
Rights groups and analysts, however, say the pattern of attacks in Darfur mirrors earlier waves of violence by Arab militias against non-Arab communities during the early 2000s conflict.
A Turning Point in Sudan’s War
El-Fasher’s fall marks a major shift in the nearly three-year conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, which has left millions displaced and driven the country to the brink of famine.
The city had been the army’s last major stronghold in Darfur and a critical humanitarian hub for civilians trapped by the fighting.
As international pressure mounts, observers warn that the RSF’s internal investigation may do little to halt the deepening crisis or deliver justice for the victims.
