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RSF Seizes Al‑Tina as UN Labels El‑Fasher Atrocities Genocide

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RSF Expands Darfur Control with Al‑Tina Capture RSF announced on 21 Feb 2026 it seized the border town of Al‑Tina from joint forces allied with Sudan’s regular army, extending its hold after taking two nearby towns in Dec 2025. The move consolidates RSF dominance over most of Darfur following the capture of El‑Fasher in Oct 2025. A Telegram video showed fighters raising a banner over the town, while Darfur governor Minni Minnawi condemned the action as a criminal attack on civilians [1].

UN Mission Declares El‑Fasher Assault Genocide UN‑backed fact‑finding team released a report on 19 Feb 2026 stating the Oct 2025 RSF assault on El‑Fasher meets the legal definition of genocide, citing intent to destroy Zaghawa and Fur communities. Investigators, barred from the city, relied on over 320 survivor testimonies, commander statements, satellite imagery and video evidence to document mass killings, starvation, rape and enforced disappearances [2][3]. The report named RSF commander Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) and spokesperson Lt Col Al‑Fatih Al‑Qurashi as responsible, though the RSF ignored requests for comment [2].

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Amid Mass Displacements The war, now in its third year, has caused more than 40,000 deaths and displaced roughly 14 million people, with the UN estimating 33 million Sudanese need aid and 21 million facing famine risk [4][1]. After the fall of El‑Fasher, only about 40 % of its 260,000 residents escaped, leaving thousands wounded, missing or sheltering in makeshift camps such as al‑Dabbah [4]. The conflict’s scale has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian emergency, with mass rapes, kidnappings and reports of genocide across Darfur [1][3].

Global Powers React to Genocide Findings UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced she would present the UN findings to the Security Council, urging international criminal investigations, stricter arms‑embargo enforcement and expanded sanctions [2]. The United States has already labeled the Darfur atrocities genocide and called for immediate civilian protection and prosecution of perpetrators [3]. Both statements echo broader calls for the International Criminal Court’s involvement and for the UN to mobilize additional peacekeeping resources.

RSF Leadership and External Backers Remain Unaccountable The UN report highlighted the role of foreign mercenaries and alleged United Arab Emirates support for the RSF, noting the provision of advanced weapons despite Abu Dhabi’s denial [2][3]. RSF leadership has offered limited response, with Hemedti acknowledging “violations” but justifying the assault as necessary, while the group has not replied to UN inquiries [2]. No independent verification of UAE involvement has been presented, leaving the allegation contested among the sources.

Sources

Timeline

April 2023 – The power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Gen. Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo erupts into a nationwide civil war, quickly spreading across Sudan and igniting the conflict that now marks its third year [9].

2025 – The United States formally declares that the RSF’s actions in Darfur constitute genocide, intensifying diplomatic pressure on the paramilitary and prompting calls for accountability [7].

Oct 2025 – After an 18‑month siege, the RSF overruns el‑Fasher, the last army stronghold in western Darfur, killing thousands, raping civilians and burning bodies; satellite imagery later shows over 80 burial clusters outside the city [3][7][10][1].

Dec 2025 – The RSF captures two towns near the Chad border, consolidating its control in northern Darfur ahead of further advances [15].

Dec 6, 2025 – A drone strike hits a kindergarten in Kalogi, South Kordofan, killing at least 50 people, including 33 children; the Sudan Doctors’ Network and the army blame the RSF [6].

Dec 7, 2025 – A second drone attack in Kalogi targets medics and another civilian site, prompting rights groups to condemn the RSF for violating international humanitarian law [8].

Dec 8, 2025 – The WHO reports the Kalogi death toll rises to 114, with 63 children among the dead, while the Sudan Witness project documents 1,700 civilian deaths from SAF airstrikes across the country since 2023 [5][4].

Dec 12, 2025 – An RSF‑operated drone strikes a SAF‑aligned vehicle near Lubway, killing 52 women and two children; the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) publicly declares an alliance with the SAF [9].

Dec 13, 2025 – A drone hits the UN logistics base in Kadugli, killing six peacekeepers and wounding eight; UN Secretary‑General António Guterres warns the attack may constitute a war crime and calls for accountability [13].

Dec 16, 2025 – Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab publishes satellite analysis showing the RSF systematically buries and burns tens of thousands of corpses around el‑Fasher to conceal mass killings [3].

Dec 31, 2025 – A UN humanitarian team enters el‑Fasher for the first time since the RSF takeover, describing the city as a “mass crime scene” and mapping safe corridors for aid delivery [11].

Early Jan 2026 – The UN plans to deploy additional humanitarian teams to el‑Fasher, expanding kitchens and shelter assistance across 16 displacement centres [11].

Jan 6, 2026 – A drone strike on a residential house in el‑Obeid kills at least 13 people, including eight children; medics allege the RSF carried out the attack as it pushes toward army‑held neighbourhoods [2].

Feb 17, 2026 – The United Nations declares Sudan’s emergency the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, noting that 33 million people need aid, 14 million are displaced, and the war reaches its 1,000th day with over 40,000 deaths [9].

Feb 19, 2026 – A UN fact‑finding mission concludes that the RSF’s October 2025 assault on el‑Fasher meets the legal definition of genocide; UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper calls the report “truly horrific” and urges the UN Security Council to launch criminal investigations and enforce sanctions [1][10].

Feb 21, 2026 – The RSF announces the seizure of Al‑Tina on the Chad border, extending its control over most of Darfur after the fall of el‑Fasher; Darfur governor Minni Minnawi condemns the move as “criminal behaviour against civilians” [15].

2026 (forthcoming) – The UN Security Council is expected to consider the February genocide findings and adopt resolutions for international criminal investigations, expanded sanctions and ICC cooperation, as urged by Yvette Cooper [1].

2026 (planned) – UNICEF spokesperson Sheldon Yett condemns the Kalogi kindergarten attack as a “horrific violation” and calls for safe humanitarian access for children throughout Sudan [6].

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