Sudan RSF Chief Commits to Investigation Amid Growing Outrage Over El-Fasher Killings

Thu Oct 30 2025 18:06:05 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, has promised an investigation into alleged civilian killings in El-Fasher following public outcry and international condemnation.

In the wake of mounting evidence of mass killings following the RSF's takeover of El-Fasher, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has promised a thorough investigation into the actions of his soldiers. Recent reports indicate over 460 civilian deaths, drawing significant international concern and a call for accountability. The UN Security Council is expected to address the situation, highlighting concerns over the ongoing civil war in Sudan and its implications for regional stability.

The leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has declared an investigation into what he called violations committed by his soldiers during the capture of el-Fasher.

The announcement by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, came after escalating reports of mass civilian killings following the RSF takeover of the city in the Darfur region on Sunday.

The UN Security Council is expected to hold a meeting on Sudan, which is in its third year of civil war between the army and the paramilitary fighters.

The RSF leader spoke after international outrage about reports of mass killings in el-Fasher, apparently documented by his paramilitary fighters in social media videos.

Hemedti said he was sorry for the disaster that had befallen the people of el-Fasher and admitted there had been violations by his forces, which would be investigated by a committee that has now arrived in the city.

However, observers have noted that similar promises made in the past - in response to accusations of a massacre in the Darfuri city of el-Geneina in 2023, and alleged atrocities during the group's control of the central state of Gezira - were never fulfilled.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed its horror over reports that more than 460 civilians, including patients and their companions, were shot dead at the last partially functioning hospital in el-Fasher.

The RSF denies allegations that the killings are ethnically motivated, asserting that they are not targeting any specific communities.

Activists have intensified demands for international pressure on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accused of providing military support to the RSF despite denials from the UAE.

The fall of el-Fasher represents a significant shift in control, with the RSF now dominating the western regions of Sudan while the army retains power in the capital, Khartoum, and other eastern areas.

Once allies who came to power together following a coup, the two rivals have experienced a deepening divide over plans for a transition to civilian rule.