Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris has called on the international community to classify the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a terrorist organization, warning that unchecked violence in Sudan could destabilize the entire African region.
His appeal follows mounting evidence of atrocities committed by the RSF in Darfur, including mass killings, rape, and torture, after the paramilitary group captured the city of El-Fasher, the last Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) stronghold in the region.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Idris described the RSF as “mercenaries and rebel militias” whose crimes were “unprecedented in the history of mankind.”
“They have been condemned worldwide, but these condemnations are not enough,” he said. “What is needed now more than ever is to designate this group as a terrorist militia because the danger now is not only threatening Sudan, but it will threaten the security and stability of Africa and the world.”
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Idris’s administration, aligned with the Sudanese Armed Forces, has been battling the RSF since April 2023, when a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo escalated into a nationwide civil war.
The fall of El-Fasher last week marked a turning point in the war, ending an 18-month RSF siege that left tens of thousands of residents without food, medicine, or safe passage.
The Sudan Doctors Network reported that at least 1,500 people were killed within days of the city’s capture, while analysts suggest the true toll could be much higher. Satellite images analyzed by humanitarian monitors this week revealed mass graves, further supporting eyewitness accounts of mass executions and sexual violence.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 80,000 civilians have fled El-Fasher and its surrounding areas. The United Nations estimates that hundreds of thousands remain trapped, many sheltering in schools and hospitals turned into makeshift camps.
On Monday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that it was taking “immediate steps to preserve and collect relevant evidence” for potential future prosecutions related to crimes in Darfur.
While the RSF has acknowledged “isolated violations,” it denies responsibility for the most serious accusations, insisting its forces are “liberating” Sudanese territory. The group said it recently jailed one of its senior commanders, Abu Lulu, over alleged misconduct, though he was reportedly freed on Wednesday.
The Sudanese army has also faced scrutiny. A UN Human Rights Council report in September accused both the SAF and RSF of war crimes, including extrajudicial killings and torture. The report cited an “overwhelming volume” of evidence linking RSF members to sexual violence, though it noted some violations by SAF personnel as well.
As fighting rages and humanitarian conditions worsened, Idris expressed confidence that the Sudanese army would “retake El-Fasher”, describing the city’s loss as a “tactical withdrawal” rather than a defeat.