Rapid Support Forces Abuses Repeated “Town after Town” in Darfur, International Criminal Court Deputy Prosecutor Tells Security Council, Citing Mass Crimes

Rapid Support Forces Abuses Repeated "Town after Town" in Darfur, International Criminal Court Deputy Prosecutor Tells Security Council, Citing Mass Crimes

The gruesome crisis in Sudan has "darkened even further" in the last six months, the Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said today, citing a pattern of large-scale crimes against humanity that is being repeated "in town after town" across the country's Darfur region.

"Darfuris, as we speak, are being subjected to collective torture […] including rape, arbitrary detention, executions and mass graves, all perpetrated on a mass scale," said Nazhat Shameem Khan, the Court's second-in-command. "The picture that is emerging is appalling."

Describing her Office's ongoing collection of evidence and intensifying investigations into alleged crimes committed in West Darfur and in the city of El Fasher - which was seized by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters in October 2025 - she cited video, audio and satellite data clearly indicating that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed.

In some footage, she said, RSF fighters are seen celebrating executions of non-Arabs and desecrating corpses. Her Office is also analysing evidence of mass crimes committed in 2023 in the West Darfur town of El Geneina, which are now being mirrored in El Fasher. "This criminality is being repeated in town after town in Darfur," she said, warning that it will continue until the conflict, and the sense of impunity that fuels it, come to an end.

Among several landmark strides made by the Court in its Darfur case, she noted the first conviction resulting from a referral by the Security Council and its first conviction on grounds of gender-based persecution. In late 2025, the Court unanimously indicted Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman - also known as Ali Kushayb, a senior commander of the notorious Janjaweed militia - for crimes against humanity and subsequently sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Noting that she would have preferred to brief the Council in person but had been denied a visa by the host country, she urged States not to frustrate the Court's work and to support its investigations.

Council members also took the floor to outline their positions.

Justice "Must Be Served to the Sudanese People"

"The humanitarian disaster in Darfur is catastrophic and unprecedented," said Greece's representative. He joined other speakers in welcoming the indictment and sentencing of Mr. Al-Rahman, adding: "It sends therefore a powerful message […] to the affected communities and to the international community on what can be achieved on the basis of the referrals and the common action between the Security Council and the [Court]."

The representatives of Denmark and Latvia were among those speakers who underlined the importance of accountability to a peaceful future in Sudan. While welcoming the Sudanese Government's increased cooperation and engagement, the former called for renewed efforts to arrest other fugitives sought by the Court.

The representative of France agreed, describing the extreme suffering of civilians in Sudan as "the fruit of absolute scorn for international law" by the warring parties. "Justice must be served to the Sudanese people," he said, adding that is exactly what the International Criminal Court is working to do.

Visa Denial Preventing Deputy Prosecutor's Attendance Draws Criticism

Turning to the sanctioning of the Court's senior officials, he reminded the United States of its responsibilities as host country of the United Nations, joining others - including the representatives of the United Kingdom, Panama and Colombia - in voicing regret that the Deputy Prosecutor was prevented from attending the Council meeting in person.

"Accountability for serious crimes committed against civilians is indispensable in order to break cycles of violence and deter future atrocities," agreed the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,also speaking on behalf of Liberia and Somalia. In addition, he stressed: "We must scrutinize the role of external actors in fuelling the conflict and monitor these destructive roles with transparency."

Pakistan's delegate commended Sudan's cooperation with the Court, declaring: "The brotherly people of Sudan deserve peace, justice and dignity." Moreover, the Court's credibility and moral authority rests on its objectivity, impartiality and non-discrimination. "Selectivity and double standards erode trust and credibility," he warned.

Judicial Sovereignty of Sudan Should Be Respected

Several other speakers also underlined the need for the Court to fully respect Sudan's legal prerogatives, as well as those of other nations.

"The judicial sovereignty of Sudan should be respected," said Bahrain's delegate. The Court must also respect the Rome Statute's complementarity principle, which defines the key role of national judicial authorities.

China's representative said his country's position on the Court's work remains unchanged. "When dealing with international and regional hotspot issues, the Court should maintain an independent, objective and impartial stance at all times […] and avoid politicization and double standards." The Court should fully respect Sudan's sovereignty and avoid inappropriate interventions that could exacerbate tensions.

Other speakers took an even harder line. The Russian Federation's delegate said that, 20 years after the Council referred the situation in Darfur to the Court, the handing down of a single judgment against one defendant is now being presented as a "supposedly great victory". She went on to reject the Court's "inflated" budget and its Deputy Prosecutor's briefing as a waste of the Council's time.

The representative of the United States said that while the crisis in Sudan merits the Council's attention, "it is unfortunate that the [Court's] Deputy Prosecutor, whom the United States has sanctioned for supporting illegitimate ICC actions, was invited to brief today." "We will not tolerate a Court that seeks to undermine United States sovereignty," he said. However, his country remains committed to ending the conflict and tackling external military support to the warring parties.

Crimes by Rapid Support Forces Fuelled by External Sponsors

Sudan's delegate vowed that achieving justice and combating impunity remain central objectives for his Government. Detailing atrocities committed by RSF, which has made bloodshed and terror its "modus operandi", he said these crimes would not have occurred without the sponsorship, support and encouragement provided by "a certain State known to you". In that vein, he urged the Court to extend its investigations to all those who have supported or colluded with RSF, and to media organizations - including the United Arab Emirates' Sky News Arabia - which contribute to "whitewashing the militia's crimes".

Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here.