Frontier Correspondent
The Hague, Netherlands.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has intensified its investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher and across the Darfur region, urging survivors and witnesses to submit evidence.
In a strongly worded statement, the Office of the Prosecutor said it was “profoundly alarmed” by reports of mass killings, sexual violence, and other grave abuses during the RSF’s recent assault on El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. The attacks, the office noted, fit into a “broader pattern of violence” that has devastated Darfur since the outbreak of Sudan’s civil war in April 2023.
“The Office is taking immediate steps to preserve and collect relevant evidence for use in future prosecutions,” the statement said, warning that the alleged acts “may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute,” the ICC’s founding treaty.
The RSF seized El-Fasher on October 26, 2025, after an 18-month siege — capturing the Sudanese army’s last major stronghold in Darfur and consolidating its control across much of western Sudan.
The ICC’s jurisdiction over Darfur stems from a 2005 UN Security Council referral under Resolution 1593, covering crimes committed in the region since July 2002.
The prosecutor’s office cited the 2024 conviction of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (Ali Kushayb), a former Janjaweed commander linked to the RSF’s roots, as a reminder that “there will be accountability for such atrocious crimes.”
The RSF traces its lineage to the Janjaweed militias accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing during the early 2000s Darfur conflict.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan appealed directly to survivors, witnesses, and anyone with credible information to come forward:
“I invite anyone with evidence of crimes committed in El-Fasher and the wider Darfur region to contact my Office.”
Submissions can be made securely via email (OTP.InformationDesk@icc-cpi.int) or through the ICC’s official website.
The Court reiterated calls for the protection of civilians and warned that attacks on non-combatants — including those sheltering in displacement camps — could amount to international crimes.
With more than 10 million people displaced nationwide and famine looming in Darfur, the ICC underscored that accountability remains critical to halting further atrocities.
This renewed investigative push comes amid mounting international condemnation of the RSF’s actions, with the United Nations and human rights organizations urging swift justice.
The ICC said it is now prioritizing digital and forensic evidence from the El-Fasher offensive as part of its ongoing Darfur investigations.