December 26, 2025 update

On October 26, 2025 The Rapid Support Forces announced its full control over Darfur region’s last urban stronghold after nearly 18 months of siege of El Fasher. This marked a significant realignment of Sudan’s conflict with the RSF achieving majority territorial hegemony over the five states of the Darfur region.

 The strategic victory for the RSF was characterized by  a humanitarian vacuum for the civilian population, ranging from aid blockage, starvations, torture and killings of civilians attempting to flee the city to the systematic violence during the military operations of El Fahser takeover. 

Forensic evidence of satellite imagery collected between October 26 and November 25, 2025 by multiple observatories, most notably Yale HRL that showed burial sites cluster, reddish discoloration consistent with blood or bodily fluids, burning objects, all indicate mass killings and disposal sites in El Fasher. 

Since then, the Rapid Support Forces presence in Darfur shifted from primarily military engagement to territorial control and management, announcing activities centered on maintaining security presence, overseeing checkpoints, and exerting influence over local administrative and customary structures. 

Sudan Human Rights Hub has recorded security incidents and violations patterns taking place in Darfur region under RSF control and governence:

Targeting of humanitarian organizations:

Sudan Human Rights Hub has recorded multiple sources reporting repeated incidents of RSF and RSF ruling authorities targeting international and national humanitarian organizations and CSOs in the Darfur region including Nyala and Zalingi. These incidents included bombardment of offices, confiscating NGOs assets, suspending their activities and detention of staff, with no current updates as to the status of their detention or their conditions.

​​Nyala Detention Complex: Targeting Civilian and Humanitarian Fabric

With the consolidation of RSF territory, the city of Nyala has emerged as the administrative hub for a vast and opaque detention network. Sudan Human Rights Hub has observed and recorded reports of arbitrary detentions against civilians, captured soldiers, NGOs and healthcare staff.

Reports identified multiple detention centers in South Darfur, including Kober prison in Nyala and Digris prison 25 km west of the city. 

Missing People, Enforced Disappearances:

Sudan Human Rights Hub archive has documented the continuing missing people reports from the engulfment of El Fasher, and other RSF control areas in Darfur region,  under a debilitating lack of access for independent investigation teams to the city and its vicinities. This is in conjunction with corroborated reports of  campaigns of arbitrary detentions between early November to December in the region including El Fasher, Nyala, and other RSF control areas with charges of allegiance to the Sudanese Armed Forces and political activity. 

Lack of Security and Incidents of Violence: 

Between November to December 2025, Sudan Human Rights Hub has recorded multiple incidents of destruction of infrastructure and violence in Nyala, El Fasher, Daein East Darfur, and other RSF control areas in Darfur region. The incidents included armed attacks by unknown individuals in a mosque, burning of markets, destroying civilian property including houses.

Killings of civilians:

Sudan Human Rights Hub has documented incidents of killings of civilians in RSF control areas in Darfur region including Zalingi, Nyala, El Fasher and other areas. Some of the killings escalated from arguments by RSF fighters with civilians over food rations in displacement camps, others as a result of accusations against civilians of allegiance with the Sudanese Armed Forces, or because of apparent ethnic targeting. 

Systemic Assault and Abductions, & Indicators of Sexual Violence:

Since RSF took control of El Fasher, women and girls attempting to flee toward Tawilah have been subjected to "violent and invasive body searches" at RSF checkpoints, acts that classifies as sexual assault. Additionally, Sudan Human Rights Hub archive and monitoring team has recorded a systematic practice of  abductions on the roads leading to Tawilah, with RSF soldiers contacting families to demand ransom. Corporating survivors and witness testimonies reported systematic use of sexual and gender violence including rape and mass rape. 

 Legal Framework: International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

Based on the patterns recorded by Sudan Human Rights Hub, the RSF’s actions constitute grave violations of the following IHL principles:

• Principle of Distinction: The deliberate targeting of humanitarian organizations, mosques, and markets violates the prohibition against attacking civilian objects (Protocol I, Art. 52).

• Treatment of Persons Deprived of Liberty: The arbitrary detention of civilians and the failure to separate military prisoners from civilians in facilities like Digris prison violate Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and the Third Geneva Convention.   

• Prohibition of Enforced Disappearance: The "enforced secrecy" surrounding detainees in Nyala and the lack of updates on missing persons constitute violations of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and potentially crimes against humanity.  

• Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV): The "invasive searches" and abductions on the roads to Tawilah represent war crimes and a violation of the absolute prohibition of rape and sexual violence under IHL.   

• Protection of Humanitarian Relief: The confiscation of assets and detention of staff directly contravene the obligation to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief (Protocol II, Art. 18).   

      Call to Action

      In response to Sudan Human Rights Hub December 2025 update on human rights conditions in Darfur region, the following actions are urgently required:

Immediate Release & Protection: Demand the unconditional release of all healthcare workers and aid volunteers held in the Nyala Detention Complex,  an end to the targeting of humanitarian assets and arbitrary detention of civilians

ICRC Access: Secure immediate and unimpeded access for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Digris and Kober prisons to verify detainee conditions and facilitate communication with families.

Protection of Civilians: RSF authorities to ensure protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and adhere to IHL.