Sudan crisis deepens as ICC warns El-Fasher atrocities may be war crimes
The ICC warns that mass killings, rapes, and other atrocities in El-Fasher may amount to war crimes as Sudan’s civil war devastates Darfur.
Sudan's civil war has reached a critical point after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized El-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in western Darfur, prompting the International Criminal Court to raise concerns about potential war crimes.
The ICC prosecutor's office (OTP) expressed on Monday its "profound alarm and deepest concern" over reports from El-Fasher detailing mass killings, rapes, and other alleged crimes.
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"Within the ongoing investigation, the office is taking immediate steps regarding the alleged crimes in (El-Fasher) to preserve and collect relevant evidence for its use in future prosecutions," ICC prosecutors said in a statement.
The ICC specifically addressed reports of crimes committed by the paramilitary rebels during the RSF’s capture of El-Fasher, following an 18-month siege.
"These atrocities are part of a broader pattern of violence that has afflicted the entire Darfur region since April 2023," the office said.
Crimes against humanity
"Such acts, if substantiated, may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute," referring to the ICC’s founding treaty.
The United Nations reports that more than 65,000 people have fled El-Fasher, with around 5,000 seeking refuge in the nearby town of Tawila. Tens of thousands remain trapped, and many others are unaccounted for after fleeing. Before the final assault, the city was home to approximately 260,000 people.
Meanwhile, the head of the Red Cross warned that history is repeating itself in Darfur.
"The situation in Sudan is horrific," International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric told Reuters in a weekend interview.
"It's history repeating, and it becomes worse every time a place is taken over by the other party," she said.
Spoljaric added that tens of thousands had fled El-Fasher after the RSF took control, while tens of thousands more were likely trapped without access to food, water, or medical care.
Years of ethnically driven violence followed the government crackdown on Darfur rebels in the 2000s, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths in a campaign widely described as genocide. The RSF has roots in the "Janjaweed" militias mobilised by Khartoum at the time.
The United Arab Emirates has repeatedly faced accusations of supporting the RSF but has denied involvement. The Sudanese army also has foreign supporters, including Egypt.
When asked about her message to foreign backers of the warring parties, Spoljaric said: "Especially those states that have an influence on parties to the conflict are under responsibility to do the necessary to restrain them and to make sure that they protect civilian populations."
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people, creating the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
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