Sudan civil war: RSF war crimes saw 6,000 killed in three days in el-Fasher, UN says

A United Nations report reveals that more than 6,000 people were killed in just three days when Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the city of el-Fasher in October 2025. The report, released in February 2026, documents horrific scenes of mass killings, summary executions, torture, abductions, and sexual violence against civilians, which the UN states amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. Witnesses described RSF fighters firing on over 1,000 people sheltering in a university building. The death toll includes at least 4,400 killed within the city and 1,600 along escape routes, though the UN suggests the actual count is likely higher. The report comes amid an ongoing three-year power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) that has displaced 13 million people. In response, the UK has imposed sanctions on six key figures, including commanders and foreign nationals recruiting mercenaries. Meanwhile, a coalition linked to the RSF, the Sudan Founding Alliance, has announced plans for a rival government, a move rejected by the African Union as a threat to national unity.