International Criminal Court: We have evidence linking Rapid Support Forces leaders to crimes in Darfur

12 July 2026 (PEN) Nuzhat Shamim Khan, Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, confirmed that the court has "concrete evidence" linking leaders of the Rapid Support Forces to war crimes and crimes against humanity recently committed in Darfur.

In an interview with the BBC, Khan said that the investigations had made a "breakthrough" regarding the massacres targeting civilians in the cities of El Fasher and El Geneina, noting that the evidence links what is happening on the ground to specific people in leadership positions.

Khan declined to specify a date for the charges to be filed, but stressed that "significant progress has been made" and that achieving justice "may take some time".

She added that the court's investigations are based on witness and survivor testimonies, along with supporting evidence including videos, photos and forensic evidence.

In the same context, previous court investigations in Darfur resulted in the issuance of arrest warrants for 7 people and the opening of 6 separate cases, including former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, while a 20-year prison sentence was issued against the former Janjaweed leader, Ali Muhammad Ali Abdul Rahman.

The International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, has been investigating crimes in Darfur for more than 20 years and is responsible for prosecuting perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.