UN mission finds RSF destruction in el-Fasher bears ‘hallmarks of genocide’

Al JazeeraEN 3 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffFebruary 19, 2026 at 10:26 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A UN-backed independent probe reported that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) conducted a coordinated campaign of destruction against non-Arab communities in and around el-Fasher, Sudan, potentially amounting to genocide. The report, released on February 19, 2026, details atrocities committed after an 18-month siege on the city, which fell to the RSF in late October of the previous year. The UN mission found evidence of ethnically targeted killings, sexual violence, and the deliberate creation of conditions designed to cause the physical destruction of the Zaghawa and Fur communities. The report concludes that the scale, coordination, and endorsement by RSF leadership indicate a planned operation, not random acts of war, meeting at least three criteria for genocide under the 1948 convention.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Sudanese army 30% Human Rights Council 30% Zaghawa 40% Fur 40% Mohamed Chande Othman 40% Darfur 50% UN 60% Sudan ×270% el-Fasher ×580% Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ×690%

Keywords

genocide 100% ethnic targeting 90% non-arab communities 80% rapid support forces 80% el-fasher 70% sudan 70% atrocities 60% civil war 60% war crimes 50% human rights council 50%