Rapid Support Forces Commit Crimes Against Humanity in Sudanese Cities as International Community Remains Silent

Sudanese authorities and local activists accuse the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of systematic attacks on civilians in El Fasher and other Darfur localities.

“A drone strike and artillery attack on a displacement shelter in el-Fasher, Sudan, reportedly killed dozens, with local activists accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of targeting the Dar al-Arqam camp at a university using drones and artillery”

BBC

These attacks are described as massacres and potential crimes under international law.

BBC

Some officials criticize the muted global response to these events.

The Transitional Sovereignty Council condemned the international community for its silence regarding alleged war crimes committed by the RSF.

At the same time, the UN and major media outlets warn that assaults on civilians may constitute war crimes.

They also label Sudan as one of the worst humanitarian crises of the century.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk condemned the strikes on civilians and urged for their protection.

Reports highlight ethnically motivated killings and attacks on hospitals and mosques.

Meanwhile, El Fasher remains besieged as a central battleground in the conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) that reignited in 2023.

The siege of El Fasher—Darfur’s last state capital not yet held by the RSF—has trapped hundreds of thousands amid bombardment, starvation, and the collapse of services.

Western mainstream sources report about 250,000 civilians are trapped after a 17-month siege and near encirclement.

The Guardian

African and West Asian outlets cite even larger figures and longer durations, with reports of an earthen wall and 400,000 people confined under an 18-month siege.

Local committees describe shuttered soup kitchens and extreme shortages as strikes hit hospitals, markets, and displacement camps.

Across accounts, El Fasher’s strategic and humanitarian centrality is unmistakable.

One of the most lethal episodes was the RSF’s alleged drone and artillery attack on the Dar al‑Arqam displacement shelter located on a university campus.

“Since April 2023, intense fighting between the RSF and Sudan’s regular army has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, millions displaced, and severe hunger impacting nearly 25 million people”

The New Indian Express

This event has been repeatedly described by resistance committees and media as a massacre.

Casualty counts vary across sources, with some reporting at least 30 killed, others 57 including many children, and several saying 60 or more.

There are accounts that victims were trapped underground or burned when incendiary munitions hit the site.

The shelter was struck multiple times over two days.

Despite discrepancies in numbers, the consistent pattern across reports indicates a deliberate strike on a civilian shelter with devastating civilian losses.

The wider toll of the RSF–SAF war shows major discrepancies across sources but a uniformly catastrophic picture.

UN-linked estimates reported by Western mainstream outlets put deaths at over 150,000 and displacement at 12–14 million.

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

West Asian outlets and studies cited by them put confirmed deaths around 20,000 with research estimates as high as 130,000, and displacement closer to 15 million.

Hunger affects nearly 25 million people by several accounts.

Within El Fasher specifically, sources describe population collapse and an “open-air morgue” as over a million residents fled.

Remaining civilians in El Fasher face starvation and medical collapse.

Control of El Fasher is decisive for the region's future.

“The Sudan Doctors Network reported that 17 children and 22 women were among the dead, with 21 others seriously injured”

Anadolu Ajansı

If the city falls, multiple outlets report that the RSF would control all of Darfur and seek to establish a rival or alternative administration.

Anadolu Ajansı

Local resistance and regional media are calling for urgent international intervention.

They document abuses as civilians shelter underground from daily attacks.

Some Sudanese officials criticize the international community for its silence.

UN bodies and media across regions continue to issue condemnations and warnings of war crimes.

Despite these warnings, effective protection remains elusive on the ground.