Sudan accuses RSF of 'genocide,' demands more than 'expressions of concern'

Sudan accused the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing 'genocide' on Tuesday and demanded international accountability beyond statements of concern.

"Sudan addresses this assembly at the moment of profound national tragedy, and deep international concern," Minister Plenipotentiary Faisal Abdelazim Salim Mohamed said at a high-level UN General Assembly meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide.

He said civilians in El-Fasher and elsewhere have been subjected to mass killings, sexual violence, forced displacement and deliberate destruction of evidence.

"Acts, in their scale and intent, meet the legal definition of genocide," he added. "These crimes committed by the rapid support forces militia are not hidden. They are documented. They are public. And they demand more than an expression of concern. They demand accountability."

Sudan urged the international community to translate condemnation into "concrete, lawful, and decisive measures to protect civilians."

Mohamed urged immediate measures to halt the arms flow and military support to the RSF through regional and international channels, targeted sanctions against those organizing or financing atrocities, denial of safe havens to individuals glorifying violence, and enhanced international cooperation to ensure exported weapons do not reach non-state armed groups.

"Genocide is not only a crime against its victims. It's a test of the international system itself," he said.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed thousands and displaced millions in Sudan.