The Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured al-Fashir in Darfur in October 2025 [1], killing civilians during the assault [2].
The seizure of the largest city in Darfur marks a critical escalation in the Sudanese power struggle. The events highlight the vulnerability of civilian populations during the conflict and the role of digital evidence in documenting potential war crimes.
According to reports, the assault lasted three days [2]. During this period, RSF commanders reportedly stood by as mass killings of civilians occurred [1]. The violence was documented in hundreds of online videos [2], some of which showed the atrocities taking place while commanders were present.
Journalists reached survivors in early November 2025 at the border crossing into Chad [1]. These survivors provided accounts of the violence that occurred during the RSF's final push to seize control of the city [1].
The evidence gathered from the online videos and survivor testimony suggests a systemic failure to protect non-combatants. The RSF launched the operation to consolidate power in the region, but the resulting civilian casualties have drawn international attention to the conduct of senior RSF commanders [1].
Verification of the footage was conducted by journalists on the Chad border, where refugees from al-Fashir gathered after the city fell [1, 2]. The scale of the documentation—hundreds of videos—provides a rare, detailed record of the three-day period of horror [2].
“The RSF captured al-Fashir in Darfur in October 2025”
The fall of al-Fashir represents a strategic victory for the RSF, but the documented nature of the civilian killings creates a significant legal liability for its commanders. The use of widespread video evidence and survivor testimony from the Chad border provides a verifiable trail of evidence that international human rights bodies can use to pursue charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
