Information
A UN-appointed Independent International Fact-Finding Mission has concluded that the October capture of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) bore the “hallmarks of genocide.” After investigating events surrounding the RSF’s takeover following an 18-month siege that deprived civilians of food, water, and medical supplies, the mission found that the violence was not a series of isolated wartime abuses. According to its chairman, Mohamad Chande Othman, the scale, coordination, and public endorsement by senior RSF leaders indicated a planned and organized operation. Graphic footage verified by rights groups at the time showed mass killings and other atrocities committed during the assault.
The mission determined that genocidal intent was “the only reasonable inference,” citing a systematic pattern of ethnically targeted killings, sexual violence, starvation, torture, enforced disappearances, and public calls for the elimination of non-Arab communities. It concluded that the RSF acted with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Zaghawa and Fur ethnic groups, two of the largest non-Arab communities in Darfur that have faced repeated displacement and discrimination since the early 2000s. The findings come amid Sudan’s ongoing conflict between the army and the RSF, which began in April 2023 and has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced nearly 12 million.
Source: AFP, AP
So What
It is encouraging that the UN has investigated the horrific situation, as its findings could increase international scrutiny and potentially add pressure on the UAE to scale back its reported support for the RSF. There is also a remote possibility that the findings might lead to greater international backing for the Sudanese military; however, this seems unlikely as long as the UAE continues to support the RSF given its significant regional influence.
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