ICC prosecutor ‘profoundly alarmed’ by reports of atrocities in El-Fasher

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of mass killings, rapes, and other serious crimes reportedly committed during recent attacks by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher, North Darfur.

The ICC Prosecutor’s Office said the alleged atrocities appeared to be part of a “broader pattern of violence” that has gripped the Darfur region since fighting erupted between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023.

“If substantiated, such acts may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute,” the statement said.

The court, which has jurisdiction over crimes in Darfur under UN Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005), said its investigators were taking immediate steps to preserve and collect evidence from El-Fasher for possible prosecutions.

The Office cited the recent conviction of Janjaweed leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, for similar crimes committed in Darfur in 2004, calling it a warning that “there will be accountability for such atrocious crimes.”

After eighteen months of siege and blockade, the city has fallen into the hands of the Rapid Support Forces militia, and mounting evidence points to widespread atrocities committed under their control. Survivors who recently fled the city have shared harrowing accounts with the BBC, describing executions and indiscriminate killings. Their testimonies add a human face to a growing body of evidence that paints a grim picture of the situation in El-Fasher and other areas under RSF.

Investigations by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research satellite imagery and open-source intelligence revealed tactical RSF vehicle formations in the Daraja Oula neighborhood, an area where civilians had sought refuge, suggesting systematic house-to-house clearance operations. Satellite images show objects resembling human bodies and patches of reddish soil consistent with blood, alongside multiple bodies visible near the city’s defensive berm. These findings align with eyewitness reports of executions and the killing of civilians attempting to escape the city, as well as social media reports documenting mass killings.

The international response to these developments has been one of growing alarm. The RSF has already been subjected to international sanctions due to its reported atrocities, and the United States has recently announced its intention to designate the group as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, the United Nations continues to raise warnings about the deteriorating humanitarian situation, calling for immediate accountability and the protection of civilians in the affected areas.