UN says Sudan’s el-Fasher a ‘crime scene’ in first access since RSF capture

Key Concepts

• RSF (Rapid Support Forces): A paramilitary group in Sudan accused of atrocities in Alfasia.
• Alfasia: A city in Sudan’s Darfur region, recently accessed by a UN team after two months of RSF control.
• IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons): Individuals forced to flee their homes but remaining within Sudan’s borders.
• Extrajudicial Killings: Executions carried out without due process of law.
• Systematic Violence: Violence perpetrated as a deliberate strategy of war, targeting social structures.

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Initial UN Assessment of Alfasia

A United Nations team recently gained access to Alfasia, Sudan, after a two-month period of control by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The team described the city as a “massive crime scene,” strongly suspecting a deliberate “cleanup operation” conducted by the RSF to conceal evidence of atrocities. Access was limited, with the UN team operating under the guidance of the RSF, hindering a thorough investigation. While hundreds of Sudanese civilians remain in Alfasia, they are facing dire conditions, lacking sufficient food, medicine, and shelter. The UN team noted the absence of large civilian populations in the streets, indicating a significant displacement or other unknown fate for the city’s residents. The team also expressed concern about detained individuals and those requiring medical evacuation, alongside ensuring aid reaches intended recipients.

Displacement and Eyewitness Accounts

Over 100,000 people have fled Alfasia, often undertaking arduous journeys on foot for days to reach the White Nile state. Survivors arriving in areas like Kosti, White Nile state, have provided harrowing accounts of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and systematic abuse. The pre-conflict population of Alfasia was approximately 1.5 million people, raising serious questions about the whereabouts of the vast majority, given the UN team’s observation of only a few hundred residents. Eyewitness testimonies detail killings “in cold blood” targeting civilians attempting to escape.

Ground Situation Worse Than Initial Findings – Solidarities International Report

Renard Ducey, field coordinator for Solidarities International in North Darfur, reports that the situation in areas receiving refugees from Alfasia, such as Tawila, is even more severe than the initial UN assessment suggests. He emphasizes the vulnerability of those fleeing, stating, “They know that they are alone.”

Ducey details consistent and horrific accounts of violence, including:

• Sexual Violence: Reports of women being repeatedly raped, and young girls (ages 7 and 14 specifically mentioned) also subjected to sexual assault.
• Murder: Accounts of husbands being killed in front of wives.
• Looting and Violence During Flight: Refugees report being subjected to looting and violence during their multi-day or two-week journeys to safety, often traveling in fragmented groups.

Ducey characterizes this violence as “systematic,” describing it as a deliberate “strategy of war to destroy the social society and social dynamics.” He notes that in areas with access, the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are overwhelmingly women and children, indicating a targeted impact on male populations.

Limitations of the UN Investigation & Need for Further Scrutiny

The initial UN investigation is considered insufficient due to the constraints imposed by the RSF’s control and guidance during the visit. It is stated that the UN “didn’t have enough opportunity or enough time to really investigate and dig,” and a return visit under more favorable conditions is necessary to gather more evidence and ascertain the fate of the missing population. The discrepancy between the pre-conflict population (1.5 million) and the few hundred observed by the UN team underscores the urgency of a more comprehensive investigation.

Synthesis

The situation in Alfasia represents a potential humanitarian catastrophe and a likely instance of widespread war crimes. The RSF’s control of the city, coupled with reports of systematic violence and a significant displacement of the population, demands a thorough and independent investigation. The initial UN assessment, while significant, was limited by the circumstances of access. The testimonies from survivors and the observations of aid organizations like Solidarities International paint a grim picture of deliberate brutality and a targeted attempt to dismantle the social fabric of the region. The overwhelming presence of women and children among the IDPs highlights the particularly devastating impact of the conflict on vulnerable populations.