Sudan: ICC Sounds Alarm Over Alleged Atrocities in Al Fasher

The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor on Monday expressed grave concern over alleged mass killings,sexual violence and other abuses in Sudan’s Al Fasher,warning that such acts may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.

The statement follows the Rapid Support Forces’ seizure of the city on 26 October,following 18 months of siege,bombardment and starvation that culminated in the fall of the army’s final Darfur stronghold. The prosecutor stressed that the reported atrocities form part of a wider pattern of violence across Darfur since April 2023,urging accountability and renewed global vigilance as communications remain largely severed.

Humanitarian conditions have deteriorated sharply,with the UN reporting that more than 65,000 residents have fled Al Fasher,including about 5,000 to Tawila,while tens of thousands remain trapped in perilous circumstances.

Prior to the RSF assault,the city was home to roughly 260,000 people,many of whom now face profound insecurity amid reports of executions,abductions,looting and attacks on aid workers. This moment serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent imperative to protect civilians and uphold international law as the crisis deepens in western Sudan.