What's happened
Amnesty International details war crimes committed by the RSF during a large-scale attack on Zamzam camp in April 2025, including civilian killings, hostage-taking, and destruction of infrastructure. The report calls for international investigation and arms embargo expansion amid ongoing conflict in Sudan.
What's behind the headline?
The recent Amnesty report underscores the brutal tactics employed by the RSF, revealing a pattern of war crimes that include indiscriminate shelling, targeted killings, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. These actions are not isolated but part of a sustained campaign aimed at territorial control and weakening civilian resistance. The report highlights the complicity of external actors, particularly the UAE, which Amnesty urges to cease arms transfers to prevent further escalation. The international community faces a critical choice: expand arms embargoes and enforce accountability or risk prolonging a conflict that has already displaced millions and caused significant loss of life. The ongoing violence in Darfur will likely intensify unless decisive diplomatic and military measures are taken to curb the RSF's capabilities and address the root causes of the conflict.
What the papers say
The reports from All Africa, The Independent, and AP News collectively paint a detailed picture of the RSF's atrocities in Darfur. All sources agree on the severity of the violations, with Amnesty International's detailed investigation providing the most comprehensive account. The Independent emphasizes the broader context of Sudan's 30-month war and the international implications, while AP News highlights the immediate impact of the attack on Zamzam camp, which was once home to 500,000 residents. The divergence lies in the focus: Amnesty calls for urgent arms embargo expansion and accountability, The Independent discusses the ongoing conflict's political dynamics, and AP underscores the human toll and destruction. Together, these sources reinforce the urgent need for international intervention to prevent further war crimes and stabilize the region.
How we got here
The conflict in Sudan escalated after the RSF, a paramilitary group, clashed with the Sudanese military in April 2023. The fighting has led to widespread violence, displacement, and humanitarian crises, especially in Darfur. The recent attack on Zamzam camp is part of a broader military campaign by the RSF to control key regions and cities, including El Fasher, which they captured in October 2025. International concerns have grown over arms support to the RSF, notably from the UAE, which Amnesty criticizes for fueling the conflict.
Go deeper
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Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in North-East Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southe
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The Rapid Support Forces are Sudanese paramilitary forces operated by the Sudanese Government. The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias which fought on behalf of the Sudanese government during the War in Darfur, killing an
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Agnès Callamard is a French human rights expert and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
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Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the United Kingdom focused on human rights. The organization says it has more than eight million members and supporters around the world.