The Silent War Documenting RSF Atrocities in Sudan
Mohamed Zakaria Khamis, Al Jazeera English
A covert human rights network races against time to record atrocities in Sudan before evidence disappears. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are accused of genocide, mass executions, and widespread sexual violence. Field teams face huge obstacles but their documentation is crucial for future prosecutions.
Under the skies of Darfur, Sudan, a harrowing reality unfolds daily: entire families disappear, villages are torched, women endure horrific sexual violence, and property is looted. The vast western region of Sudan is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that has been battling the Sudanese army since 2023 and is accused of committing these atrocities.
Operating under harsh conditions, secret monitoring teams from the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) are gathering evidence in hopes of delivering justice to civilian victims. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rahmatullah Mohammedin Abakar, head of the Darfur department at NCHR, revealed the immense challenges facing field teams. He said that despite serious security threats, the teams continue their efforts, relying on a network of local residents and using secure communication methods to avoid detection.
According to Abakar, the RSF has carried out mass executions that amount to genocide. NCHR has credible reports of mass graves in both el-Geneina and el-Fasher, cities captured by the RSF in 2023 and 2025, respectively. The agency has also documented nearly 4,000 cases of sexual violence across Darfur, with 20% of victims being girls under 18. This figure aligns with a June 2026 report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which highlighted the unprecedented brutality of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan.
Evidence collected by NCHR monitors closely reflects findings from recent international investigations. A UN fact-finding mission concluded that the RSF's campaign of systematic violence during and after the siege of el-Fasher amounts to genocide. Investigators recorded mass killings, gang rapes, and the deliberate starvation of civilians. Amnesty International has also accused the RSF of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in el-Fasher.
Beyond killing and sexual violence, arbitrary detention is a severe crisis. Abakar said that in el-Fasher alone, the RSF is holding 1,480 civilians, including 446 children and 360 women. The situation is worse in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, where about 10,000 people are detained in Daqris prison, 9,000 of them women. Abakar demanded the immediate release of prisoners, stressing that detaining civilians without trial is a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 14 million people. Despite recent military advances by the Sudanese army and its allies in West Darfur, the RSF continues to be accused of atrocities in its remaining strongholds. Abakar said that as the Sudanese army and its allies approach el-Geneina, they are witnessing evidence of human rights abuses in the villages.
NCHR field teams face huge obstacles, including difficulty accessing violation sites and detention centers due to RSF territorial control, a lack of cooperation from the paramilitary force, and the ongoing conflict hindering evidence collection and witness protection.
Despite severe resource shortages, the documentation work of human rights monitors is crucial for future prosecutions. Abdul Nasser Salem, an expert in crisis and security management and director of the East Africa program at the Fox Research Center (Sweden), said these abuses pose a deep challenge to international humanitarian law. Salem pointed out that targeting ethnic groups, mass killings, widespread sexual violence, and illegal detention could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. He argued that NCHR's field documentation will be the foundation for any future judicial proceedings.
Abakar called on the international community to protect human rights groups and support their documentation efforts. Without real accountability, he warned, civilians will be trapped in an endless cycle of violence. Al Jazeera attempted to contact the Rapid Support Forces for comment on the documented abuses but received no response at the time of publication. The paramilitary group has previously denied targeting civilians and promised to bring any violators to justice.
