The International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) voiced its grave concerns on Monday regarding distressing reports of mass killings, sexual violence, and other severe crimes purportedly committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan. These reports indicate a severe escalation in a conflict that has already brought widespread suffering to the region.

Emerging accounts suggest that these atrocities are not isolated incidents but part of a continuous pattern of aggression that has plagued Darfur since April 2023. Should these allegations be verified, they would amount to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity (CAH) as defined under the Rome Statute.

In October, the UN Human Rights Office disclosed that the RSF had executed summary killings and committed other serious violations after overtaking significant areas of El Fasher and Bara city in North Kordofan state. A recent study by the Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab documented evidence of these mass atrocities at several locations in El-Fasher, including a former children’s hospital and the Saudi Hospital, as well as systematic executions along the Berm.

Drawing from the ICC's recent conviction of Ali Kushayb, a high-ranking member of the pro-government Janjaweed militia, for similar offenses, the OTP expressed its commitment to ensuring accountability for the ongoing severe violations in Sudan.

In response to these troubling developments, the OTP is actively conducting preliminary investigations and has called upon individuals and organizations worldwide to contribute any relevant information or evidence. Submissions can be made through the OTP Link, a secure platform designed to facilitate the confidential sharing of sensitive data.

The international community watches closely as the ICC intensifies its efforts to address and curtail the human rights abuses in El-Fasher, hoping that justice will soon prevail for the victims of this devastating conflict.