By Burak Bir
LONDON (AA) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday expressed concern over recent reports of "mass killings, rapes, and other crimes" by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from Sudan's El-Fasher, which it seized on Oct. 26, warning the acts may constitute "war crimes and crimes against humanity."
In a statement, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC expressed its "profound alarm and deepest concern" over the reports of "mass killings, rapes, and other crimes allegedly committed during the course" of the RSF attacks.
"Such acts, if substantiated, may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute," the statement said, adding that they are "part of a broader pattern of violence that has afflicted the entire Darfur region since April 2023," when the civil war between the army and the paramilitary RSF began.
Saying that the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes being committed in the ongoing conflict in Darfur, it reminded that the office is investigating crimes allegedly committed in Darfur since the outbreak of hostilities.
"Within the ongoing investigation, the Office is taking immediate steps regarding the alleged crimes in El-Fasher to preserve and collect relevant evidence for its use in future prosecutions, the statement added.
On Oct. 26, the RSF seized control of the city of El-Fasher and committed massacres against civilians, according to local and international organizations, amid warnings that the assault could entrench the geographical partition of Sudan.
Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.