(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan warned on Monday that the Court has jurisdiction to investigate crimes committed in Sudan's Darfur region and is actively gathering evidence of alleged atrocities since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.

Khan expressed“grave concern” over reports of killings, sexual violence, and other abuses allegedly carried out by RSF fighters in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which the group seized in late October after months of siege.“If verified, these acts may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity,” he said, urging individuals and organizations to submit any evidence related to events in the city.

Following the RSF's capture of El-Fasher, aid agencies and witnesses report widespread violence, mass displacement, and severe shortages of food, water, and shelter. Communications in and around the city remain largely cut off.

According to the United Nations, thousands of civilians are fleeing on foot toward Tawila, roughly 60 km away, along a route now known as the“Death Road” - where many face hunger, thirst, and repeated attacks. The Sudanese Doctors Syndicate reported that RSF fighters are holding thousands of civilians inside El-Fasher, seizing vehicles used for evacuation and forcing some residents - including the wounded and malnourished children - to return.

Despite the dangers, more than 15,000 people have managed to escape to nearby areas. Humanitarian organizations have declared a state of emergency, but access remains extremely limited, and no humanitarian corridors have been opened despite international appeals.

Some civilians have reportedly walked nearly 1,000 km north to Al-Dabba in Northern State, arriving in dire condition. Local communities and the Sudanese Red Crescent are distributing food and temporary shelters.“We urgently need a central kitchen and more rapid assistance,” said one relief official, appealing for international Red Cross and Red Crescent support.

With the fall of El-Fasher, the RSF now controls all five state capitals in Darfur, while the army retains control over most of Sudan's remaining 13 states, including Khartoum. Although large-scale clashes have decreased, fighting continues in North Kordofan and other regions. The army has launched drone strikes and reinforcements to retake the town of Bara and prevent further RSF advances northward.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 1,565 people were newly displaced across North and South Kordofan over the weekend due to renewed insecurity. Earlier in October, more than 36,000 people had already fled their homes. According to local authorities and the Doctors Syndicate, RSF drone attacks and assaults on Bara, Umm Rawaba, and Umm Dam Haj Ahmed left dozens dead and displaced at least 1,850 people.

Prime Minister Kamel Idris called for international prosecutions over the violence in El-Fasher but rejected the deployment of foreign troops, telling Blick newspaper:“We need action, not words. All perpetrators must be brought to justice, including at the international level.” He added that any UN peacekeeping forces would be“unwelcome” and a violation of Sudanese sovereignty.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council condemned the RSF attack on El-Fasher and warned of a“growing risk of large-scale atrocities,” including ethnically motivated violence. UN agencies estimate that more than 65,000 people have fled the city, while tens of thousands remain trapped. Before the latest assault, El-Fasher's population was around 260,000.

The ICC recalled its earlier investigations in Darfur, launched in 2005 after a UN Security Council referral, which led to arrest warrants for senior Sudanese officials, including former President Omar Al-Bashir. Khan pointed to the 2023 conviction of Janjaweed militia commander Ali Kushayb for war crimes and crimes against humanity, saying it should serve as a warning that“such heinous crimes will be held to account.”

As conditions in El-Fasher deteriorate, humanitarian agencies are warning that the city could become the site of another major catastrophe unless urgent action is taken to protect civilians and secure access for relief operations.

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