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The International Criminal Court (ICC) told the UN Security Council on Thursday that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed in western Sudan, particularly in Darfur.
One of the most disturbing findings from the ICC’s ongoing investigation is the targeted sexual violence against women and girls of specific ethnic groups.
War erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in what the UN describes as “devastating civilian casualties.”
ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said it was “difficult to find appropriate words to describe the depth of suffering,” revealing that her team had collected more than 7,000 pieces of evidence, much of it from survivors who fled to Chad.
The Security Council first mandated the ICC to investigate atrocities in Darfur 20 years ago. While earlier probes focused on crimes committed from 2002 onward, the ICC launched a new investigation in 2023 following the outbreak of nationwide conflict.
Khan described an “inescapable pattern of offending,” warning that those responsible “may feel a sense of impunity” now, but many will face justice at the ICC.
In January 2025, the U.S. government determined that the RSF and allied militias had committed genocide against Darfur’s non-Arab population. The RSF has denied this, calling the violence a “tribal conflict.”
Meanwhile, conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate. UN reports point to a pattern of deliberate attacks on hospitals and aid convoys, and the use of food and water deprivation as weapons of war.
“Rape and sexual violence are being weaponised,” Khan said. “Abductions for ransom or recruitment by armed groups are now routine.”
In el-Fasher, RSF forces have besieged the city, cutting civilians off from aid. A cholera outbreak now threatens already limited water supplies, and famine is escalating.
According to UNICEF, more than 40,000 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition between January and May 2025—more than double the figure from the same period last year.
“Children in Darfur are being starved by conflict and cut off from the very aid that could save them,” said UNICEF’s Sheldon Yett.
Over the past two years, an estimated 150,000 people have died and 12 million have been displaced.
Khan offered a stark warning: “We should not be under any illusion — things can still get worse.”
