Investigation Promised Amid Rising Anger Over Mass Killings in Sudan's El-Fasher

Thu Oct 30 2025 16:14:27 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As outrage grows over reported mass civilian killings following the RSF's takeover of el-Fasher, the group's leader vows to investigate potential military violations.

In the wake of allegations of mass killings in el-Fasher, Sudan's RSF commander, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), has pledged an investigation into the incidents committed by his forces. Following the capture of the city, international bodies such as the UN have expressed alarm, stating that over 460 civilians, including patients in a hospital, have reportedly been killed. Historical context reveals similar promises of accountability from the RSF have often gone unfulfilled, raising skepticism about the effectiveness of this latest commitment. Activists are also calling for increased international pressure on the United Arab Emirates, accused of military support to the RSF.

The leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has declared an investigation into what he called violations committed by his soldiers during the capture of el-Fasher. The announcement by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, came after escalating reports of mass civilian killings following the RSF takeover of the city in the Darfur region on Sunday.

The UN Security Council is expected to hold a meeting on Sudan, which is in its third year of civil war between the army and the paramilitary fighters. The RSF leader spoke after international outrage about reports of mass killings in el-Fasher, apparently documented by his paramilitary fighters in social media videos.

Hemedti said he was sorry for the disaster that had befallen the people of el-Fasher and admitted there had been violations by his forces, which would be investigated by a committee that has now arrived in the city. However, observers have noted that similar promises made in the past - in response to accusations of a massacre in el-Geneina in 2023, and alleged atrocities during the group's control of Gezira - were never fulfilled.

The UN World Health Organization has expressed shock at reports that more than 460 civilians, including patients and their companions, were shot dead at the last partially functioning hospital in el-Fasher.

The RSF denies widespread allegations that the killings are ethnically motivated and follow a pattern of Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab populations. Activists have ramped up demands for international pressure on the United Arab Emirates, accused of providing military support to the RSF, a claim the UAE denies amidst evidence presented in UN reports.

El-Fasher had been the army's last stronghold in the western region of Darfur, captured after an 18-month siege characterized by starvation and intense bombardment. The RSF's control over el-Fasher emphasizes the geographic split in Sudan, with the RSF controlling western Sudan and much of Kordofan, while the army retains power in Khartoum and surrounding areas. The two factions, once allies, have been embroiled in civil conflict since a coup in 2021.