'Hallmark of genocide' found in Sudan's el-Fasher — UN
Deutsche Welle
February 19, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The United Nations has identified hallmarks of genocide in the 2023 capture of el-Fasher, a city in Sudan's Darfur region by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). An independent fact-finding mission concluded that the scale, coordination, and systematic nature of the RSF's actions demonstrated clear intent to destroy specific ethnic communities. Graphic footage verified by human rights groups revealed mass killings, sexual violence, and other atrocities committed during the takeover.
The investigation focused on the aftermath of an 18-month siege in North Darfur, where civilians were cut off from basic necessities like food, water, and medicine. Survivors shared harrowing accounts of their efforts to escape the RSF's brutality. The mission found that the Zaghawa and Fur ethnic groups, who are non-Arab and among the largest communities in the region, were specifically targeted by the RSF with intent to eliminate them.
The fact-finding team highlighted public statements by RSF leaders explicitly calling for the eradication of non-Arab communities as evidence of genocidal intent. These findings align with the legal definition of genocide, which includes acts aimed at destroying a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in whole or in part. The mission emphasized that the combination of prolonged starvation, mass killings, and systematic violence against the Zaghawa and Fur communities left only one reasonable conclusion: the RSF's actions met the criteria for genocide.
This report underscores the severity of the ongoing conflict between Sudan's army and the RSF, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced nearly 12 million people. The UN has
Verticals
worldpolitics
Originally published on Deutsche Welle on 2/19/2026