RSF Leader Acknowledges ‘Abuses’ After El Fasher Capture

29 October 2025

October 29, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – The commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, on Wednesday acknowledged “abuses” by his troops during their recent capture of El Fasher and announced the immediate formation of investigative committees.

In a speech broadcast on social media, Dagalo said he “observed abuses occurring in El Fasher” and pledged to hold “any soldier or officer who committed a crime” accountable. He confirmed that military and legal investigation committees had already arrived in the North Darfur capital to begin their work, stressing that any trials would be public and immediate.

Dagalo’s admission follows widespread accusations that his forces committed atrocities in El Fasher, including killings and the destruction of civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and markets.

The announcement also echoes previous pledges by the RSF commander that critics say yielded no tangible results. After his forces seized Al Jazirah state, Dagalo announced a “special force to protect civilians” on August 12, 2024, followed by an “exceptional order” on August 31 to enhance civilian protection. However, the security and humanitarian situation in the state continued to deteriorate until the Sudanese army regained control in early 2025.

Conditional withdrawal

Dagalo ordered his forces to pull back from El Fasher’s residential neighbourhoods but conditioned a full withdrawal on the “clearing of the city and achievement of stability.” He said his engineering teams had begun removing mines and unexploded ordnance.

Once the city is secured, he explained, a “Federal Police” force will assume sole responsibility for internal security, while military troops will remain outside the city. The Federal Police is a security body established by the RSF’s deputy commander, Abdel Rahim Dagalo, from former police elements and is active in other RSF-controlled cities.

Dagalo also made an urgent appeal for humanitarian organizations to intervene in El Fasher and called on displaced people to return to their homes, promising to create safe conditions for their return.

Negotiations and political vision

On the political front, Dagalo revealed that “secret negotiations” had taken place between the RSF and the army, describing the participation of the Port Sudan-based government’s foreign minister as merely “decorative.”

He reiterated his vision for Sudan’s future, stating his demands include a full democratic transition and the establishment of a “new army” under a civilian president. The mission of this new army, he said, would be to protect the country’s borders, not the constitution, in order to prevent future military coups.