Sudan arrests fighters accused of atrocities in El-Fasher amid rising UN concerns VIDEO

Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced the arrest of several fighters accused of committing abuses during their recent capture of the western city of El-Fasher, as a UN official warned that “the horror is continuing” in both Darfur and neighboring Kordofan.

A photo released by the RSF purportedly shows its members detaining a fighter known as Abu Lulu, who appeared in execution videos from El-Fasher. In one verified clip, he is seen shooting unarmed men at close range, while another shows him celebrating near dozens of bodies and burnt vehicles, France 24 reports.

The Rapid Support Forces released footage appearing to show Abu Lulu behind bars in a North Darfur prison, with one RSF member stating, “Abu Lulu is arrested and will be brought to a fair trial according to the law.”

The RSF seized El-Fasher on October 26 after an 18-month siege, dislodging the army’s last stronghold in western Darfur. Following the city’s fall, reports emerged of mass killings, children shot in front of their parents, and civilians beaten and robbed as they fled. Since October 26, videos purportedly showing RSF personnel carrying out summary executions have circulated online.

US-based Sudanese poet Emtithal Mahmoud, from El-Fasher, said she recognized her cousin in a video shared by RSF accounts, lying dead on the ground. Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair expressed skepticism about the arrests, stating, “We expect these atrocities to continue, particularly against non-Arab groups,” citing communities such as the Zaghawa, Fur, Berti, and Masalit.

More than 36,000 people have fled El-Fasher since October 26, while roughly 177,000 civilians remain trapped in the city. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the Security Council there were “credible reports of widespread executions” and described ongoing rapes, mutilations, and killings. Fletcher added that bloodshed is spreading to Kordofan, where over 35,000 people fled five localities, including Bara, after paramilitary advances.

El-Fasher’s fall has given the RSF control over all five Darfur state capitals, effectively splitting Sudan along an east-west axis. The army retains control over northern, eastern, and central Sudan. Both sides face war crimes accusations, and the RSF has previously been determined by the US to have committed genocide in Darfur.

By Vafa Guliyeva