U.N. Security Council sanctions four Sudan commanders over El-Fasher atrocities

The U.N. Security Council has imposed sanctions on four high-ranking members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in response to a recent U.N. report that concluded the RSF committed acts of genocide during their offensive to capture the city of El-Fasher in late October 2025. The report details a three-day period characterized by mass killings, sexual violence, and other atrocities specifically targeting the Zaghawa and Fur ethnic communities. The scale and coordination of these operations, along with public endorsement from senior RSF leadership, indicate that the actions were systematic efforts aimed at inflicting conditions that could lead to the physical destruction of these communities. The U.N. report describes the violence in El-Fasher as a "wave of intense violence... shocking in its scale and brutality." It highlights that the RSF's actions amounted to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. The report calls for accountability and urges that those responsible for the violence be brought to justice. Since the conflict in Sudan began in April 2023, tens of thousands of people have been killed, and approximately 13 million have been displaced. In addition to the findings regarding El-Fasher, the report notes other violent incidents in Sudan, including a drone strike that killed at least 15 children in a displacement camp in West Kordofan and another strike on a market that resulted in 28 fatalities in North Kordofan. These incidents further illustrate the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the severe impact of the conflict on civilians in Sudan. The U.N. rights chief has called for a probe into the RSF's actions, emphasizing the need for international attention and action to address the atrocities committed during this conflict. The findings underscore the urgent situation in Sudan, where the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate amid ongoing violence and targeted attacks against civilians.