In October 2025, the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region reached a horrific new chapter. The city of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, has been under relentless attack as clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalate. According to the United Nations, entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble. Civilians—many already displaced from earlier violence—are trapped under siege, cut off from food, water, and medical care. Hospitals, including maternity and trauma wards, have been struck or looted, and humanitarian warehouses destroyed. UN officials warn that the deliberate targeting of populated areas and the obstruction of humanitarian aid represent clear violations of international humanitarian law.
The RSF, a paramilitary group that evolved from the Janjaweed militias accused of ethnic cleansing in the early 2000s, has been identified by witnesses and Al Jazeera reports as responsible for large-scale massacres in and around El Fasher. Victims include displaced families and non-Arab African communities, particularly women and children, killed as they sought refuge. The SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has responded with heavy bombardments, turning the city into a battlefield. Civilians are paying the highest price for a conflict that shows total disregard for the principles of distinction and proportionality enshrined in IHL.
The international community has reacted with outrage. The United Nations and Arab League have condemned the killings, urging all parties to cease hostilities immediately. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reminded warring factions of their legal obligations: civilians must be spared, the wounded treated humanely, and medical personnel protected at all times. UN OCHA warns that Sudan faces a “total collapse of protection,” and calls for safe humanitarian corridors and accountability for violations. In Darfur, the protection of civilians is not just a moral imperative; it is a legal one, and it is being systematically ignored.
To read more, please visit:
- https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166184
- https://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-hurricane-melissa-ukraine-0
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/29/horrific-violations-arab-nations-slam-rsf-killings-in-sudans-el-fasher
- https://www.icrc.org/en/statement/sudan-icrc-situation-darfur
