By Urban Shihemi, 5 November 2025

International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors are gathering evidence of alleged mass killings and sexual violence following the seizure of al-Fashir by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the last area under army control in Sudan’s Darfur region according to The Wall Africa Journal.

The ICC, which has been investigating war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur since 2005, said its office is taking immediate steps to preserve and collect evidence to support future prosecutions.

So far, more than 70,000 people have fled al-Fashir, while the fate of nearly 200,000 residents who remain trapped in the city is unknown. 

Survivors have reported the separation and killing of men attempting to escape the violence. 

Observers note that the attacks resemble previous atrocities in Darfur that were widely described as genocide.

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that the RSF’s capture of al-Fashir represents a repetition of historical patterns of violence in the region, giving the paramilitary group control over more than a quarter of Sudan.

Last month, the ICC secured a conviction against a Janjaweed militia leader for crimes committed in Darfur over two decades ago. 

The court can prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and, in certain cases, aggression when the offenses involve member states, nationals of member states, or cases referred by the UN Security Council.