United Nations investigators have detailed what they describe as "hallmarks of genocide" in El Fasher, Sudan. A report released Thursday by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan outlines evidence of mass killings and ethnic targeting.
The mission stated that at least three underlying acts of genocide were committed: the killing of members of a protected ethnic group, causing serious bodily and mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction. Investigators highlighted an 18-month siege that deprived civilians of food, water, and medical care, alongside a pattern of identity-based targeting linked to ethnicity and perceived political affiliation.
Senior leadership of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were cited as demonstrating that crimes in El Fasher were part of a planned operation, not random excesses of war. The report notes documented allegations of mass killings, widespread rape, arbitrary detention, torture, extortion, and enforced disappearances. Perpetrator rhetoric explicitly calling for the elimination of non-Arab communities was presented as evidence of intent.
The findings focus on events in El Fasher following the RSF takeover in late October 2025, after a prolonged siege that progressively cut off civilians. The mission warned that the risk of further genocidal acts remains serious and ongoing without prevention and accountability. Perpetrators at all levels of authority must be held accountable, with the international community having a heightened obligation to prevent, protect, and ensure justice where evidence indicates genocide.