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ICC launches investigation into Sudan's RSF over alleged war crimes in el-Fasher
Warning: This report contains graphic descriptions of executions.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced Monday it is examining allegations that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during a massacre in el-Fasher last month, where over 2,000 civilians may have been killed. Footage obtained by investigators shows RSF fighters celebrating the slaughter, with one declaring, "They will all die like this," as bodies lay strewn in the streets.
Siege and blockade precede city's fall
The RSF, a paramilitary group that evolved from the Janjaweed militia, had besieged el-Fasher-the last Sudanese military stronghold in Darfur-for nearly two years. Satellite imagery confirms the construction of a massive sand berm encircling the city by early October, cutting off aid and escape routes. Attacks escalated in September, including a mosque assault that killed 78 and drone strikes on a displacement camp that left 53 dead.
Videos verified by analysts depict RSF fighters torturing suspected smugglers, with one captive shown bound and suspended upside down from a tree. "I swear to God you will pay for this," a fighter shouted, accusing the man of attempting to bring supplies into the starving city.
City falls after street-by-street battles
By October 26, the RSF overran the Sudanese military's 6th Infantry Division headquarters, the army's final bastion. Footage captured fighters laughing as they toured the abandoned base, wielding grenade launchers. Abdul Rahim Dagalo, brother of RSF leader Mohammed "Hemedti" Dagalo, was later filmed inspecting the site.
The collapse of military resistance unleashed a wave of violence. In one verified video, an elderly man in a white tunic was executed at point-blank range inside a university building, his body left among dozens of others. Satellite analysis by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab identified clusters of objects consistent with human remains near the city's perimeter, alongside bloodstain-like discoloration.
Mass executions and cover-up efforts
Eyewitnesses described civilians rounded up and shot en masse. One survivor recounted seeing a woman killed after RSF fighters stole her belongings. Another execution site, 8 km from el-Fasher, held trenches filled with bodies-some women-allegedly dumped after summary killings. The Yale Lab's November 4 report accused the RSF of removing bodies from the area, citing satellite evidence of disturbed earth near a children's hospital, where white objects measuring 1.6-2 meters (adult height) appeared in the courtyard.
Abu Lulu, an RSF commander identified in multiple execution videos, was detained after BBC Verify exposed his role. In one clip, he dismissed a captive's pleas-"I know you! I called to you days ago!"-before shooting him, declaring, "Our job is only killing." Another video showed him executing nine unarmed men in a row, their bodies left sprawled in the dust.
RSF admits "violations" amid global outrage
RSF leader Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo acknowledged "violations" by his forces and pledged internal investigations. The UN confirmed some RSF suspects had been arrested, including Abu Lulu, whose detention was staged in a Telegram video showing him led into a prison cell. Meanwhile, the RSF's media wing circulated clips of fighters distributing aid and claims of humane treatment for prisoners of war, contrasting sharply with the verified atrocities.
The ICC's probe follows years of accusations against the RSF, which emerged from the Janjaweed militia responsible for mass killings in Darfur (2003-2005). Over 150,000 have died in Sudan's civil war since 2023, with both sides accused of war crimes. The RSF did not respond to requests for comment.
"Many of our relatives were gathered in one place and all killed."
El-Fasher eyewitness to BBC Verify
