Name: Sudans al-Fashir survivors recount torture at hands of RSF fighters
Uploaded: 2026-01-09T16:04:28.123Z
Duration: 2 min 21 s
Description: Thousands fled when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces captured the city in late October.

Thousands fled when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces captured the city in late October.

Al Fashir

Survivors from al-Fashir, Sudan, have described severe abuses, including torture, forced labor, and sexual violence, after the city was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in late October. One survivor, Mohamed, recounted being held for a month, tortured, and released only after a ransom was paid. 

The United Nations and several organizations have documented widespread human rights violations, including sexual violence against women and girls, during the RSF's occupation. The UN estimates that over 100,000 people fled al-Fashir, and aid workers stress the urgent need for support and justice for the victims.

Sudan's al-Fashir survivors recount torture at hands of RSF fighters

Mohamed was one of thousands who fled Al-Fasher for the Tawila camp for displaced people in Sudan when the paramilitary rapid support forces captured the city in late October. Like many others, he didn't make it. Showing his scars, Mohamed said he was tortured by the group for a month and forced to do hard labour. Once they determined he was a civilian, he says they demanded a ransom for his release. We stayed four days in Mina. They tortured us. On the second day, they told us to call our families. They said, we'll give you the phone to call your families. I tried to call my brother, but he didn't pick up. The second day, he picked up, and they demanded ransom from him. They wanted 11 million SDG. They tried to negotiate, but in the end, they paid it. That's nearly three and a half thousand dollars. While his story can't be independently verified, the United Nations reported massive violations of human rights during the RSF's takeover of the city. This includes widespread sexual violence against women and girls, which has been documented by several organisations. There were seven women and ten men at a school in the Kirni area. They had their hands behind their backs. They were beaten and tortured. They were asked to pay a large sum of money for ransom. All the women in the school were sexually assaulted by the security forces. They forced us and threatened us with their weapons. They told us, if you don't open your body to us, we will kill you. They did all of this against our will. The RSF's capture of al-Fasher involved some of the worst fighting of Sudan's ongoing civil war. The UN estimates that more than 100,000 people fled the city to places like Tawila. As survivors struggle to rebuild their lives, Ismail of Hope Sudan says they desperately need support, and that the perpetrators should be brought to justice.

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