Sudan RSF Leader Promises Accountability Amid Rising Civilian Casualties in El-Fasher

Fri Oct 31 2025 09:08:55 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, chief of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, has vowed to investigate civilian deaths linked to his troops following their assault on El-Fasher, as international tensions escalate over the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Amidst growing global outrage over civilian casualties in El-Fasher, Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, announced an investigation into violations committed by his troops during their takeover of the city. Reports indicate that more than 460 civilians were reportedly killed after RSF forces captured the area, prompting urgent calls for accountability from the international community, including the United Nations. Despite Dagalo's promises, skepticism remains regarding the effectiveness of past commitments for similar incidents, raising concerns about ongoing ethnic violence and the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan.

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 civilian killings following the RSF takeover of the city in the Darfur region on Sunday.

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

The RSF has since released footage which they say shows the arrest of a fighter accused of carrying out executions in el-Fasher.

Footage previously verified by BBC Verify showed the man, known online as Abu Lulu, shooting unarmed people outside el-Fasher.

The video posted by the RSF on Wednesday evening showed fighters leading the man under guard from a pick-up truck into a jail cell.

However, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that the RSF's assurances to protect civilians contradict the appalling news emerging from the region, emphasizing the need for accountability for the perpetrators of violence.

Earlier, British Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty highlighted the unconscionable scale of suffering faced by civilians.
The Security Council has condemned the attack on el-Fasher and called for safe passage for civilians trying to escape the area.

Despite Dagalo's commitment to investigate, observers are skeptical, recalling unmet promises made following previous atrocities. The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is severe, with reports of over 460 civilians killed, including patients and caretakers, during the RSF's takeover of the last hospital in el-Fasher.

It is critical for the international community to exert pressure on the UAE, suspected of supporting the RSF militarily, as the crisis unfolds. The RSF’s control of el-Fasher reinforces the ongoing conflict and humanitarian challenges affecting the region.