Sudan accuses RSF of genocide, demands concrete international action

Sudan has leveled a grave accusation against the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stating their actions constitute genocide and demanding tangible international accountability beyond expressions of concern. Addressing a high-level UN General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, Minister Plenipotentiary Faisal Abdelazim Salim Mohamed described a nation in the grip of "profound national tragedy," detailing systematic atrocities against civilians.

Documented atrocities meeting the legal definition of genocide

Mohamed asserted that civilians in areas like El-Fasher have endured mass killings, sexual violence, forced displacement, and the deliberate destruction of evidence. "Acts, in their scale and intent, meet the legal definition of genocide," he stated, adding that these "documented" and "public" crimes "demand more than an expression of concern. They demand accountability." He framed genocide not only as a crime against victims but as a fundamental test of the international system itself.

A call for specific, lawful international measures

The Sudanese representative urged the world to translate condemnation into "concrete, lawful, and decisive measures to protect civilians." His specific demands included an immediate halt to the flow of arms and military support to the RSF through regional and international channels, targeted sanctions against those organizing or financing atrocities, denial of safe havens to individuals glorifying violence, and enhanced cooperation to prevent exported weapons from reaching non-state armed groups.

Context of the devastating civil war

The accusations come amid a brutal civil war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary RSF. The conflict has killed thousands, displaced millions, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with widespread reports of ethnically targeted violence, particularly in the Darfur region. Sudan’s direct appeal to the UN underscores its perception of international inaction in the face of escalating horrors.