The United States is working with international partners to help end the conflict in Sudan, the White House said on Tuesday, following reports of mass killings and atrocities during the fall of Al-Fashir to paramilitary forces last week.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured Al-Fashir, the Sudanese army’s final stronghold in the Darfur region, in what analysts say marks a major turning point in the country’s 19-month civil war. The seizure effectively gives the RSF control over more than a quarter of Sudan’s territory.
“The United States has actively engaged in efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the terrible conflict in Sudan,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Monday that it is collecting evidence of alleged mass killings and sexual violence committed during and after the fall of Al-Fashir.
According to the United Nations human rights office, hundreds of civilians and unarmed fighters may have been killed as RSF forces advanced into the city. Witnesses reported that RSF members separated men from women and children before gunfire erupted, raising fears of targeted executions.
The RSF has denied harming civilians, claiming its actions were directed solely against armed combatants.
Al-Fashir’s fall has drawn renewed concern from the international community, as Darfur — long scarred by past ethnic violence — once again faces the threat of large-scale atrocities. Humanitarian groups warn that tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped, with limited access to food, water, and medical aid.
The ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has displaced millions of people and left many others in urgent need of assistance, according to UN estimates.