ICC assessment finds war crimes committed in Sudan’s El Fasher
January 19 2026 (UNITED NATIONS) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) has assessed that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, following a systematic campaign of violence by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
On Monday morning, the United Nations Security Council received the semi-annual briefing by Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan on the ICC’s activities related to the situation in Darfur.
Khan stated that the fall of El Fasher to the RSF was accompanied by a calculated campaign that targeted non-Arab communities, resulting in profound suffering. “Darfuris, as we speak, are being subjected to collective torture,” Khan told the council, adding that the situation in the region has “darkened even further”.
Based on video, audio, and satellite data collected by the Office of the Prosecutor, the court determined that these acts reached a culmination in late October during the final stages of the city’s siege.
The prosecution team reported evidence of widespread criminality, including rape, arbitrary detention, and mass executions. Khan noted that many of these acts were filmed and celebrated by the perpetrators themselves.
“The picture that is emerging is appalling: organized, widespread, mass criminality, including mass executions— atrocities which are used as a tool to assert control,” Khan stated during her briefing. Investigators analyzed video material showing RSF members celebrating summary executions and subsequently desecrating corpses.
The deputy prosecutor reported that the atrocities were used as a deliberate tool to assert control over the civilian population.
The ICC is currently corroborating these findings with satellite imagery indicative of mass killing events and attempts to conceal evidence through the use of mass graves. Khan emphasized that the ongoing violence is “fueled by a sense of complete impunity” and urged the council to move beyond rhetoric toward real action on the ground.
Investigations are also accelerating regarding similar patterns of violence committed in El Geneina, West Darfur, as the court pursues individual criminal responsibility for those involved.
Khan noted that “patterns of atrocities across El Geneina in 2023 were repeated in El Fasher in 2025,” warning that such criminality would continue until the conflict and the accompanying sense of impunity are halted.
Sudanese officials have separately called for the ICC to expedite the issuance of arrest warrants for leaders involved in these crimes. Minister Plenipotentiary Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud told the council that justice must include accountability for regional sponsors and media outlets that have allegedly whitewashed the militia’s actions.