In a decisive response to a United Nations investigation confirming genocidal acts in Sudan’s Darfur region, five European nations have announced plans to establish an international atrocity prevention coalition. The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway—all members of the Sudan Core Group at the UN Human Rights Council—endorsed the UN fact-finding mission’s conclusions that Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary units committed genocide against non-Arab communities during their capture of el-Fasher in October.
The comprehensive UN report, formally presented in Geneva on Thursday, represents the first official UN documentation of genocide by the RSF, specifically targeting the Fur and Zaghawa ethnic groups through at least three genocidal acts prohibited under international law. UN investigators warned that the RSF continues employing similar tactics in Kordofan and other regions, creating acute risk of further genocidal violence without urgent preventive measures.
While collectively endorsing the report’s findings, the UK government notably refrained from individually using the term ‘genocide’ in its official response. A Foreign Office spokesperson stated that formal genocide determination remains the jurisdiction of competent courts, mirroring Britain’s position regarding Gaza.
The European coalition called for immediate action including civilian protection, expanded enforcement of the UN arms embargo, and removal of humanitarian access restrictions. They emphasized the legal obligation of states to prevent genocide when risks become apparent under international law.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk reported to the Human Rights Council that civilian killings in 2025 have more than doubled compared to the previous year, with impunity fueling escalating violence. He recommended referring the entire Sudan situation—not just Darfur—to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which already holds jurisdiction over Darfur from a 2005 Security Council referral.
The ICC’s deputy prosecutor confirmed ongoing investigations into both el-Fasher atrocities and RSF massacres in el-Geneina in 2023. This follows recent sanctions against four senior RSF commanders by the UN Security Council’s Sudan sanctions committee and a separate UK sanctions package targeting six individuals including RSF field commander Hussein Barsham.
Despite extensive evidence linking the United Arab Emirates—a key British ally—to arms supplies for the RSF, the UK has not explicitly condemned Emirati involvement in the conflict. The ongoing RSF-SAF war has killed tens of thousands, displaced over 11 million people, and created what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with all mediation efforts failing to secure a ceasefire.