Sudanese government blames RSF for mass civilian deaths in El Fasher

Khartoum: The Sudanese government has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of killing more than 2,000 civilians in El Fasher, western Sudan, since taking control of the city on Sunday, October 26.

Speaking at a press conference in Port Sudan, Deputy Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid Mona Nour Al-Daem condemned the killings as “genocide against unarmed civilians.” She alleged that RSF fighters executed patients and wounded individuals in hospitals, pursued fleeing residents, and committed acts of sexual violence, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Sudan Doctors Network, a volunteer medical group, reported nearly 1,500 civilian deaths in El Fasher over the past three days alone. It said the total death toll since the RSF siege began in May 2024 has surpassed 14,000. The group described the violence as part of a sustained campaign involving shelling, starvation, and targeted executions under a “complete and deliberate siege” affecting hospitals, markets, and displacement camps.

The RSF, part of the Sudan Founding Alliance, a coalition of armed groups, political parties, and civil society organisations, has denied any involvement in violence against civilians.

On Monday, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan said the military had withdrawn from El Fasher “for military reasons” but pledged to retake the city.

The conflict between the SAF and RSF, now in its third year, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and pushed large parts of Sudan to the edge of famine.