Sudan: UN report finds thousands killed during rapid assault on el‑Fasher

A United Nations human rights inquiry has placed a stark human cost on the RSF’s takeover of el‑Fasher, documenting an estimated 6,000 deaths over a brief, violent episode that followed months of siege. The report draws on testimony from over 140 survivors and witnesses collected in northern Sudan and across the border in eastern Chad, and it differentiates killings inside the city from deaths suffered during flight from the fighting. According to the UN account, roughly 4,400 people were killed within urban areas in the opening phase, with more than 1,600 killed while escaping along exit routes. These figures are presented as conservative estimates and investigators warn the toll is almost certainly higher. The episode forms part of a broader, near three‑year rupture between Sudan’s regular military and the RSF that has produced massive displacement, large‑scale sexual violence and widespread allegations of atrocities. International actors are reacting: the UK announced targeted sanctions against six individuals linked to the conflict, while the United Arab Emirates has publicly rejected assertions that it is a primary arms provider to the RSF. Regional institutions have also pushed back against political moves tied to the RSF, rejecting plans for a rival western government that would deepen fragmentation. Forensic verification is limited by access constraints and the destruction of sites, so the UN’s numbers rely heavily on eyewitness narratives and corroborative patterns rather than full grave exhumations. The report’s presentation of specific counts and exit‑route killings raises distinct legal and operational questions, including referral thresholds for international courts and the prioritisation of protection corridors. The immediate humanitarian consequences are acute: communities around el‑Fasher face decimated social networks, disrupted aid channels and heightened risk of disease and famine as displacement compounds already dire needs. In sum, the UN’s findings intensify pressure for international accountability measures and for concerted diplomatic and relief efforts to prevent further erosion of state control and unchecked regional spillover.