Inside the secret battle to document RSF abuses in Sudan

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that covert human rights monitors linked to Sudan’s National Commission for Human Rights are trying to preserve evidence of alleged atrocities in Darfur, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces control large areas amid Sudan’s war. In an interview published July 28, 2026, Rahmatullah Mohammedin Abakar, who heads the commission’s Darfur division, said the teams operate through local networks and secure communications while facing severe security risks and limited access to affected sites.

According to Al Jazeera, Abakar accused the RSF of mass executions, ethnic-based attacks, sexual violence, looting, village burnings and unlawful detention. He said the commission has reliable information about mass graves in el-Geneina and el-Fasher, and has recorded nearly 4,000 cases of sexual violence in Darfur, including cases involving minors. He also alleged that 1,480 civilians are detained in el-Fasher and about 10,000 people are held at Daqris prison in Nyala. The RSF did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment; the group has previously denied targeting civilians.

The report says the commission’s findings resemble conclusions from recent international investigations, including UN and Amnesty International assessments alleging grave crimes by the RSF in and around el-Fasher. Sudan’s conflict began in April 2023 between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, and has killed tens of thousands while displacing nearly 14 million people, according to the article.

Al Jazeera also cited Abdul Nasser Salem of the Sweden-based Fox Research Center, who said such documentation could be central to future legal proceedings. The issue matters because evidence collected during active fighting may shape future accountability efforts, while civilians in Darfur remain exposed to continuing violence and restricted humanitarian access.