The African Union (AU) has condemned reports of atrocities and alleged war crimes committed in El-Fasher, the last major city in Sudan’s Darfur region to fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after months of fierce fighting with the Sudanese army.
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed “deep concern over the escalating violence and reported atrocities” in the besieged city, denouncing what he described as ethnically targeted killings of civilians.
“The Chairperson condemns in the strongest terms the alleged war crimes and atrocities in El-Fasher,” the AU statement read, urging an immediate cessation of hostilities and the opening of humanitarian corridors to deliver life-saving aid to affected communities.
El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, had endured an 18-month siege before it was captured by the RSF in October, marking a potential turning point in Sudan’s devastating conflict, which erupted in April 2023.
The AU chief stressed that there could be “no military solution” to the crisis and urged both warring parties to commit to dialogue and pursue a peaceful, inclusive political process.
“The suffering of innocent civilians must end. The only way forward is through dialogue and reconciliation,” Youssouf stated.
On Monday, the Sudanese army confirmed its withdrawal from El-Fasher as the United Nations issued dire warnings over mounting civilian casualties and widespread atrocities allegedly committed by RSF forces.
The fall of El-Fasher — a strategic and symbolic stronghold in Darfur — has intensified international alarm over Sudan’s escalating war, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced nearly 12 million people, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
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