Massacre in El Fasher: Thousands reported dead after RSF attacks in Sudan

Thousands are reported dead in Sudan following a wave of attacks carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Daily Mail reports.

On Sunday, the last remaining hospital in the city of El Fasher was brutally attacked, leaving around 460 dead.

On the following day, over 2,000 civilians were reportedly murdered by RSF paramilitary groups, according to the World Health Organization, which condemned the violence. Videos circulating on social media allegedly show RSF fighters ‘celebrating’ the massacre of civilians. 

After the massacre, more than 26,000 people were forced to flee El Fasher. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that thousands of families are now “facing high insecurity, movement restrictions, protection risks, theft and assaults with most having nothing left.” The city’s most recent massacre is one of the deadliest single attacks in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.  

The United Nations Security Council issued a statement condemning the violence and expressing concern over the humanitarian catastrophe. However, many officials argue that the global response has been inadequate. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher called out the Security Council for its “apathy” and “inaction” toward the atrocities. 

 “Can anyone here say that we did not know this was coming? As we sit here today, the horror is continuing. Women and girls are being raped, people mutilated and killed – with utter impunity,” Fletcher said, according to the Sudan Tribune.  

American leaders have also condemned the RSF’s campaign of terror. During a recent UN meeting, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea described the attacks in El Fasher as genocidal, citing reports of systematic killings of men and boys, widespread sexual violence against women, and the deliberate targeting of civilians. 

Several U.S. senators from both parties have since called for the RSF to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization and for sanctions on its leadership to be expanded. Lawmakers have emphasized that those responsible for mass atrocities in Sudan must face accountability, giving a warning that silence and inaction only embolden perpetrators.