The Committee for Justice (CFJ) strongly condemns the horrific crimes committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in the city of El Fasher, which resulted in the killing of several doctors and civil society activists, along with dozens of civilian casualties during the first half of October. These acts constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and international conventions that guarantee the protection of medical personnel and health facilities during armed conflicts.
CFJ documented the killing of Dr. Imran Ismail Adam Ahmed, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at El Fasher University – Class 25, while performing his humanitarian duty treating patients at his clinic in the Abu Qurun neighborhood. The clinic was targeted by the RSF militia in a suicide drone attack. Dr. Imran was an active member of the Sudan Doctors Network and a prominent figure in documenting violations against civilians and medical personnel in the besieged city.
In another crime, Dr. Omar Ishaq (Silk), a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at El Fasher University – Class 12, was killed following an attack on the mosque in the Al-Daraja neighborhood of El Fasher, which resulted in the death of at least 75 civilians.
Another RSF attack on the East Nile area led to the killing of Dr. Siddiq Osman Al-Faki inside his home and the serious injury of two of his children.
In a dangerous escalation, El Fasher Hospital was directly bombed, resulting in the death of 12 people and the injury of 17 others, including a female doctor and nursing staff who were performing their humanitarian duties to save lives inside the hospital.
The city of El Fasher also lost two pillars of its healthcare sector: Dr. Adam Ibrahim Ahmed, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at El Fasher University, and Dr. Omar Ishaq Silk, Director of the Primary Health Care Department in North Darfur State, both killed in an RSF attack targeting a mosque.
While CFJ expresses its deep sorrow and regret over the loss of these medical professionals and civil society activists, it affirms that these crimes represent a flagrant violation of international conventions ratified by the Republic of Sudan, including the four Geneva Conventions of 1949—particularly the Fourth Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Times of War—and the First Additional Protocol of 1977, which stipulates the protection of medical personnel and health facilities. These acts also violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to life and healthcare, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits extrajudicial killings.
CFJ calls on the international community, particularly the United Nations and the Human Rights Council, to take urgent action to halt these violations, launch an independent international investigation to hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure the protection of civilians and medical personnel in conflict zones.
The Committee also urges support for humanitarian efforts in El Fasher and the provision of necessary protection for medical and relief teams, as they represent the first line of defense in confronting the escalating humanitarian catastrophe.
