Tom Fletcher says those responsible for deliberate attacks on civilians in western Darfur region must face justice.
Sudan’s el-Fasher has been transformed into a “crime scene”, the United Nations’ aid chief says, as the UN pushes for access to the city after it fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last month.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Tom Fletcher – who recently wrapped up a visit to Sudan – described the western Darfur region as “an absolute horror show”.
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The RSF seized control of el-Fasher – capital of North Darfur state – in late October in a campaign that rights groups and witnesses say involved mass killings, kidnappings, and widespread sexual violence.
“I’ve had a week inside Darfur, which is now the epicentre of human suffering in the world,” Fletcher said in a video.
“El-Fasher, based on the testimonies I heard from many survivors, is basically a crime scene. The deliberate attacks on civilians – and I heard so many stories of these – must stop and we want those who commit these crimes to face justice.”
Darfur is an absolute horror show.
We have a moment of opportunity if the world is ready to seize it.
Civilians must be protected. Access must be expanded. Flow of arms must be limited. pic.twitter.com/2ZKACEMrCf
— Tom Fletcher (@UNReliefChief) November 19, 2025
‘Naked cruelty’
Fletcher’s comments come just days after the UN Human Rights Council ordered an investigation into “atrocities” committed in el-Fasher, which had been under an 18-month siege when it fell to the RSF on October 26.
“The international community has a clear duty to act,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Friday as the council passed a resolution ordering the probe.
“There has been too much pretence and performance and too little action. It must stand up against these atrocities, a display of naked cruelty used to subjugate and control an entire population.”
The RSF has denied targeting civilians, saying any such incidents are carried out by rogue actors. But the UN, human rights groups, and other observers say evidence suggests that mass killings were committed by the armed group.
UN officials have called for greater access to el-Fasher, where tens of thousands of residents are believed to be trapped, cut off from aid, healthcare services, and other crucial supplies.
Since the RSF seized control of el-Fasher from the Sudanese Armed Forces more than 100,000 people have fled the city to nearby towns and displacement camps, according to the latest UN figures.
Survivors have described seeing bodies lining the streets while researchers in the United States said satellite images suggest RSF forces are burying bodies in mass graves.
Meanwhile, the paramilitary group has been pressing eastward into the neighbouring Kordofan area, where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported “intensified air strikes, drone attacks and heavy troop mobilization since early November”.
Residents have been besieged in the towns of Babanousa, Dilling, and Kadugli “with access to food, water, and health services rapidly deteriorating”, UNHCR said in an update.
“Civilian casualties are particularly high in Bara, Babanousa, Ghubeish, and Umm Krediem while families continue to be displaced both within Kordofan and across state borders to Khartoum, Northern, and White Nile States.”
