World ‘failing Sudan’, says Cooper as UN finds ‘acts of genocide’ at El Fasher
Thousands of civilians were killed in October after the city of El Fasher, in Sudan’s south-western Darfur region, was captured by the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
Yvette Cooper has accused the world of “failing the people of Sudan” after a UN investigation into a three-day massacre found “acts of genocide” had been committed.
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Thousands of civilians were killed in October after the city of El Fasher, in Sudan’s south-western Darfur region, was captured by the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following an 18-month siege.
In a report published on Thursday, a UN fact-finding mission described the takeover as “three days of horror” involving mass killings, widespread rape, torture, abductions and other crimes against humanity.
Around 100,000 of El Fasher’s 260,000 residents are estimated to have fled the city during the siege, while those remaining suffered starvation and resorted to eating animal feed and leaves.
A previous UN investigation found more than 6,000 documented killings after the takeover, but acknowledged the true figure was likely to be much higher.
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Some researchers have suggested the real death toll could be 70,000 or more over the three days.
The UN mission concluded that the RSF had committed “acts of genocide” against the non-Arab communities in El Fasher and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Foreign Secretary Ms Cooper called for “urgent action” from the international community, including criminal investigations “to ensure accountability for vile perpetrators, justice for victims and to break the cycle of bloodshed”.
She said: “The world is still failing the people of Sudan. When the stories started to emerge about the horrors of El Fasher it should have been a turning point, but the violence is continuing.
“It is time to listen to the women of Sudan, not the military men who have been prosecuting this war. We need action for justice, accountability and peace.”
Ms Cooper is expected to raise the report on El Fasher at a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Thursday.
On Wednesday, she met US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz and Trump adviser Massad Boulos to discuss the humanitarian situation in Sudan.
The UK is currently president of the Security Council, and previously pushed for the fact-finding mission to investigate the killings at El Fasher.
Britain also sanctioned four senior RSF commanders at the end of 2025 over the violence in El Fasher.
The RSF grew out of the Janjaweed militias used by the previous Sudanese government to fight a long-running war in Darfur that also saw allegations of genocide.
Since 2023, it has been fighting a civil war for control of the country against the Sudanese Armed Forces.
Sudan claims the RSF is being supported by the United Arab Emirates despite an arms embargo, something the Emirati government strongly denies.
But the UN mission said it had received “credible information” that the RSF campaign had received foreign assistance, including advanced weaponry, communications systems and logistical support.
The mission said it was “engaging with several states” about “their own involvement or that of their nationals” in the conflict, but did not specify which countries were involved.
Ms Cooper said: “We urgently need an end to arms flows, and it is important that the fact-finding mission is conducting further investigations and reports into breaches of the arms embargo which we agree should be extended and enforced.”