Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said they had arrested several of their fighters accused of committing abuses during the capture of the city of Al Fasher, including a man identified in media reports as conducting multiple executions.
The RSF, at war with the army since April 2023, seized Al Fasher -- the army's last stronghold in western Darfur -- on Sunday, after an 18-month siege.
In a statement late Thursday, the RSF said it had detained several fighters accused of "violations that occurred during the liberation" of Al Fasher, including one known as Abu Lulu who appeared in multiple videos on his TikTok committing summary executions.
In one clip verified by AFP, he is seen shooting unarmed men at close range. Another shows him standing among armed men near dozens of bodies and burnt vehicles.
‘Ongoing investigations’
The RSF released a video appearing to show Abu Lulu behind bars in what they claimed to be a North Darfur prison. It said "legal committees" had begun investigations "in preparation for bringing them (the fighters) to justice".
The group also affirmed its adherence to "the law, rules of conduct and military discipline during wartime".
Al Fasher has been cut off from all communications since its fall, but survivors who reached the nearby town of Tawila told journalists of mass killings, children shot before their parents and civilians beaten and robbed as they fled.
Since Sunday, videos circulating online have showed men in RSF uniforms carrying out summary executions around the city.
Widespread executions
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the Security Council on Thursday there were "credible reports of widespread executions" after the RSF entered Al Fasher.
Fletcher said the RSF claimed to be investigating, but questioned its commitment amidst "appalling news" from North Darfur.
The RSF -- descended from the Janjaweed militias accused of atrocities in Darfur two decades ago and has been accused of committing war crimes.
