Women From Geneina In West Darfur Cry After Receiving The News About The Death Of Their Relatives As They Waited For Them In Chad Nov. 7 2023. Reuters Photo Edited
Sudan’s Descent into Genocide: UN Sounds Alarm as Ethnic Cleansing Intensifies in Darfur
GENEVA – June 24, 2025 – Sudan is teetering on the precipice of genocide, with a top United Nations official warning of an “extremely high” risk of atrocity crimes as the civil war intensifies, particularly in the ethnically diverse regions of Darfur and Kordofan. Virginia Gamba, the UN Under-Secretary-General and acting special advisor on the prevention of genocide, delivered a stark message to the UN Human Rights Council this week, highlighting the ongoing and systematic nature of ethnically motivated attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied Arab militias against non-Arab communities, specifically the Zaghawa, Masalit, and Fur.
This chilling assessment comes amidst a worsening humanitarian catastrophe that has seen over 13 million Sudanese forcibly displaced since the conflict erupted in April 2023, with approximately 4 million fleeing to neighboring countries, making it the world’s largest and fastest displacement crisis. The two warring factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), are both accused of egregious human rights violations, including the deliberate targeting of civilians and the weaponization of hunger.
El Fasher Under Siege: A Crucible of Atrocities
The city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the last major SAF stronghold in the region, has become a focal point of the escalating violence and a crucible for the unfolding atrocities. ReliefWeb reported on June 15, 2025, that after a year-long siege, the RSF launched a renewed ground assault on El Fasher, following months of intensified mobilization and even the recruitment of child soldiers across Darfur. This offensive mirrors the RSF’s brutal assault on the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in April, which resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths and widespread sexual violence.
Eyewitness accounts and UN reports detail relentless shelling and intense drone activity targeting not only the SAF’s 6th Infantry Division headquarters but also sprawling IDP camps like Abu Shouk. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that more than 1,200 people fled El Fasher and Abu Shouk camp between June 18 and June 21 alone, adding to the over 400,000 already displaced from the area since April. Those who have fled face severe access constraints to humanitarian aid, as active conflict continues to hamper efforts to reach those in desperate need.
Sexual Violence and Starvation as Weapons of War
The UN human rights expert on Sudan, Radhouane Nouicer, revealed on June 19, 2025, that sexual violence is rampant in Sudan’s conflict, with over 70% of documented incidents attributed to the RSF. These acts, often involving rape, gang rape, abduction, sexual slavery, and forced marriage, are being used as “tools of fear, reprisal, and intimidation,” particularly against women and girls in RSF-controlled displacement camps. Many incidents go unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, and the near-total collapse of medical and legal systems.
Adding to the horrors, the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid by both warring parties has led to nearly 25 million people being acutely food insecure. The World Food Programme (WFP) notes that the average cost of a local food basket has surged by 14% since April, and is now 113% higher than a year ago.The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been forced to withdraw support from over half of the 93 health facilities it was assisting across the country due to severe funding shortfalls, compounding the crisis in a nation where over 80% of hospitals in conflict zones are already non-operational.
A Call for Global ActionAs the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on June 22, 2025, that Sudan is spiraling further into lawlessness with a threefold increase in arbitrary killings between February and April, the international community faces increasing pressure to act decisively. The call for an end to the flow of arms into the country, accountability for perpetrators, and unhindered humanitarian access is growing louder, yet the tangible impact on the ground remains tragically limited. The fate of millions of Sudanese hangs in the balance as the world grapples with the growing risk of another genocide on its watch.
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