Sudanese Attorney General: 965 Mass Graves Found in RSF-Retaken Areas Amid War Crimes Investigations

He described the findings as a clear indicator of the scale of violations and atrocities committed, including extrajudicial killings and deaths resulting from torture and inhumane treatment in detention centers.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already launched investigations following accusations of genocide by RSF in El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, where mass graves and widespread abuses were uncovered. Since then, reports of similar graves have emerged across multiple Sudanese cities.

Tayfour noted that the Public Prosecution Office has received over 14,000 reports of enforced disappearances since the war erupted in mid-April 2023.

During his participation in the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Attorney General submitted a national report on war crimes to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances. This included details about the mass graves and other abuses, as well as the surge in disappearance reports over the past two years.

He stressed that the number of complaints has increased as the army regained control over areas in Khartoum, Al-Jazirah, and Sennar, and law enforcement—including prosecutors and police—have resumed operations in these regions.

The Attorney General also met with Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. He highlighted Sudan’s commitment to engaging with UN mechanisms on women’s rights and justice.

He detailed the government’s efforts through the National Investigation Committee and judicial authorities to ensure justice, rule of law, and accountability, particularly regarding human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law.

RSF Accused of Systematic Sexual Violence and Abductions in Sudan War

Tayfour accused RSF militias of committing horrific crimes against women and girls. He affirmed that there is sufficient evidence that the RSF used sexual violence as a weapon of war and terror, citing instances of rape (individual and gang), sexual slavery, kidnapping, trafficking, and reproductive violence.

He emphasized efforts to raise awareness among victims and encourage reporting, and outlined measures taken to ease the legal process, including dropping location jurisdiction requirements and eliminating the need for formal police reports in sexual violence cases—accepting medical reports and deploying female prosecutors and officers to handle cases.

Meanwhile, the African Women’s Initiative of the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network) warned of a catastrophic human rights situation in Sudan, citing RSF abductions of women and girls in North Darfur, who were held hostage and later released for ransom—or possibly sold in human trafficking markets.

Since the war began in April 2023, over 13 million people have been displaced, and UN reports documented missing and unaccompanied children, some wounded or detained arbitrarily in Al-Jazirah and other states.

In March, the Mafqood Center for victims of enforced disappearance warned of rising numbers, confirming around 1,000 documented cases, including 50 children, and noted that actual figures are likely much higher due to reporting difficulties.

The most affected areas included Al-Jazirah state (417 cases) and Jabal Awliya (127 cases) south of Khartoum.

Before the war, the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances had registered 177 cases, including 5 involving women. Due to weak documentation, the real toll may be significantly larger.

The Mafqood Center called for local and international coordination to locate the missing, ensure accountability, and stop impunity. It urged support from the international community and rights organizations to end Sudan’s ongoing systematic violations, emphasizing that enforced disappearance is a crime that does not expire.