The International Criminal Court has presented damning evidence alleging the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group executed “an organized, calculated campaign” of atrocities during their capture of el-Fasher in October 2025. Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan delivered this assessment to the United Nations Security Council via video link on Monday, revealing the ICC’s intensified efforts to establish individual criminal responsibility for crimes committed in both el-Fasher (North Darfur) and el-Geneina (West Darfur).
Khan’s presentation detailed a pattern of systematic violence targeting non-Arab communities, including mass executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detentions, and the creation of mass graves. The prosecutor’s office has collected substantial evidence including video footage, audio recordings, and satellite data showing RSF members celebrating direct executions and desecrating corpses.
The investigation reveals that the approximately 18-month siege of el-Fasher culminated in widespread criminality during late October 2025. Satellite imagery analysis indicates incidents of mass killing and subsequent attempts to conceal these crimes through mass graves. Khan emphasized that these atrocities appear to have been employed as tactical tools to assert control over the population.
Significant progress has been made in investigating the 2023 el-Geneina massacres that resulted in thousands of civilian deaths. The ICC is prioritizing gender-based crimes in its investigative strategy, noting the undeniable use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. However, social stigma and fear of reprisals create substantial barriers to documentation efforts.
The Office of the Prosecutor is currently preparing arrest warrant applications related to the el-Fasher situation while also documenting reports of potential Rome Statute crimes allegedly committed by Sudanese armed forces in Darfur. Khan emphasized that all conflict parties must uphold their obligations under international law and avoid targeting civilian populations and facilities.
The ongoing Sudan conflict, active since April 2023, has created what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The fighting has resulted in thousands of deaths, displaced nearly 13 million people, and pushed over 40% of the population into acute food insecurity. UN Sudan chief Denise Brown, who recently visited el-Fasher, described the situation as a “crime scene” and called for international intervention to prevent further atrocities.