Sudan's paramilitary RSF arrests commander, several others, over atrocities in El Fasher
El Fasher, Sudan (PANA) - Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Thursday it has arrested several of its members, including a field commander, Al-Fatih Abdullah Idris, nicknamed “Abolulu”, after he appeared in videos carrying out widespread field executions of civilians in El Fasher following the capture of the city last Sunday.
Sudan's media outlet, Sudan Tribune, said graphic scenes and extensive violations by the RSF against civilians in the North Darfur capital have drawn widespread international condemnation, with growing calls to halt the atrocities and hold the perpetrators accountable.
It reported that RSF-affiliated platforms broadcast a video showing “Abolulu” being transported to Shala prison in El Fasher in handcuffs and placed in a cell.
The detained commander is accused of involvement in extensive massacres in El Fasher over the past months and after the city’s fall on 26 October. He was also known for similar operations in other areas the RSF had entered.
Sudan Tribune quoted a statement by an RSF spokesperson that said, “In implementation of the leadership’s directives and in commitment to the law… our forces have arrested a number of those accused of the abuses in El Fasher, led by the so-called Abolulu.”
He said specialised legal committees had begun investigating the accused persons to bring them to justice.
The spokesman added that their forces are acting “with full responsibility to achieve true justice, far from any propagandistic use or alignment with campaigns of intimidation and politicization”.
Meanwhile, the Tasis Sudan Alliance, the parallel government which is led by the RSF, acknowledged that violations against civilians occurred in El Fasher. It described the events as “individual acts by undisciplined elements” and reiterated its rejection of any violation of international humanitarian law or human rights.
The commander RSF, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, on Wednesday acknowledged “abuses” by his troops during their recent capture of El Fasher and announced the immediate formation of investigative committees.
Sudan Tribune quoted him as saying in a speech broadcast on social media, that he “observed abuses occurring in El Fasher” and pledged to hold “any soldier or officer who committed a crime” accountable.
He confirmed that military and legal investigation committees had already arrived in the North Darfur capital to begin their work, stressing that any trials would be public and immediate.
Dagalo’s admission follows strong condemnation of the widespread atrocities in El Fasher, including killings and the destruction of civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and markets.
One of the latest condemnations is by US Senior Adviser for Africa Massad Boulos, who said on X that the US is "deeply disturbed" by the horrific escalation of violence and attacks against civilians in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan".
He said the deliberate targeting of vulnerable populations through acts of violence and retribution is “both abhorrent and unacceptable”.
“The United States condemns all violations of international humanitarian law in the strongest possible terms and calls on RSF leadership to immediately halt attacks, protect civilians, and ensure safe passage for those fleeing violence. Those responsible for these heinous acts must be held accountable.”
Mr. Boulos said the US acknowledges RSF leadership’s recent statements on civilian protection, humanitarian access, and accountability, but stressed that “words alone will not save lives”.
The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) has also strongly condemned RSF for the atrocities and renewed its rejection of any parallel government in the Darfur region.
A communique issued after an emergency session said the Council “condemns in the strongest terms possible the criminal activities against Sudanese civilians and the grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law”, perpetrated by the RSF.
It called on the leader of the paramilitary RSF to uphold international humanitarian law.
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned the atrocities voicing grave concern over the devastating impact on civilians and the heightened risk of large-scale atrocities.
In a press statement, the 15-member council demanded the RSF lift its siege of the city and called for an immediate halt to the fighting, referencing its previous resolution 2736. The council warned that conditions of famine and extreme food insecurity are at risk of spreading further in the besieged capital.
“The members of the Security Council also condemned reported atrocities being perpetrated by the RSF against the civilian population, including summary executions and arbitrary detentions,” the statement said, adding that all perpetrators must be held accountable.
Reiterating the need for a political solution, the council urged a resumption of talks to achieve a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, Sudanese-owned political process.
The statement also called on all member states “to refrain from external interference which seeks to foment conflict and instability” and to abide by their obligations under international law.
Sudan Tribune noted that Dagalo's speech on Wednesday also echoed his previous pledges that critics say yielded no tangible results.
The publication recalled that after the RSF seized Al Jazirah state, Dagalo announced a “special force to protect civilians” on 12 August, 2024, followed by an “exceptional order” on 31 August to enhance civilian protection. However, the security and humanitarian situation in the state continued to deteriorate until the Sudanese army regained control in early 2025.
In his broadcast, Dagalo ordered his forces to pull back from El Fasher’s residential neighbourhoods but conditioned a full withdrawal on the “clearing of the city and achievement of stability”. He said his engineering teams had begun removing mines and unexploded ordnance.
Once the city is secured, he said, a “Federal Police” force will assume sole responsibility for internal security, while military troops will remain outside the city. The Federal Police is a security body established by the RSF’s deputy commander, Abdel Rahim Dagalo, from former police elements and is active in other RSF-controlled cities.
The RSF leader also made an urgent appeal for humanitarian organisations to intervene in El Fasher and called on displaced people to return to their homes, promising to create safe conditions for their return.
On the political front, Dagalo revealed that “secret negotiations” had taken place between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), describing the participation of the Port Sudan-based government’s foreign minister as merely “decorative”.
Sudan’s civil war pits the SAF against the RSF – once allies who turned their weapons on each other in April 2023. Fighting has displaced more than ten million people, destroyed large parts of Khartoum and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
-0- PANA MA 31Oct2025
