Sudans El Fasher Declared Crime Scene After First UN Access Since Journalist Capture

UN Team Visits El-Fasher, Sudanese City Affected by Mass Atrocities

A United Nations team has gained access to the city of el-Fasher in Sudan for the first time since its takeover by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in October. The visit took place on Friday after weeks of negotiations. According to Denise Brown, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, the team observed “very few people” during their hours-long visit.

The city was once densely populated but has seen a significant decline in population since the RSF seized control on October 26. Over 100,000 residents fled the area, with survivors reporting ethnically motivated mass killings and widespread detentions. The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, warned of an “unprecedented level” of child malnutrition in North Darfur.

Satellite imagery showed that by late November, 72 percent of clusters containing objects consistent with human remains had become smaller or were no longer visible. A report from Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab documented the RSF’s systematic campaign to erase evidence of mass killings through burial and removal of human remains.

The Sudan Doctors Network reported that more than 200 people, including children and women, were killed on ethnic grounds by the RSF in recent attacks. The UN Secretary-General has renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire, citing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. An estimated 30.4 million Sudanese now require humanitarian assistance, with funding cuts from key donors forcing the UN to halve its 2026 appeal.

The city of el-Fasher was previously a stronghold for the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces before falling to the RSF. The capture allowed the RSF to consolidate control over the Darfur region, leading to fighting in other areas. An estimated 107,000 people have been displaced from el-Fasher and surrounding areas since late October, with many already having experienced displacement due to previous violence.

The UN has documented that 1.17 million people originally from el-Fasher have been displaced, representing 13 percent of the total population affected by the conflict.

Source: Al Jazeera