First War Crimes Complaint Against Sudan’s RSF Filed in Kenya
NAIROBI (AP)- Sudanhorizon
Victims of alleged torture and sexual violence committed during Sudan’s ongoing war have filed a complaint with Kenyan prosecutors seeking the investigation and prosecution of members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marking the first attempt to hold members of the paramilitary group criminally accountable outside Sudan.
The complaint, filed by Switzerland-based legal organisation Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), documents alleged abuses committed by RSF members in and around Khartoum between April 2023 and March 2025, when the paramilitary group controlled large parts of the Sudanese capital.
Twelve victims are asking Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions to approve charges against 10 RSF members, some of whom are believed to be residing in Kenya.
The victims allege they were detained in inhumane conditions, deprived of adequate food, water and sanitation, and subjected to beatings, burning, suffocation, electric shocks and sexual violence, including rape. Some were allegedly forced to transport bodies from detention facilities.
LAW founder Antonia Mulvey said Kenya could investigate and prosecute the alleged offences under its International Crimes Act of 2008, describing the case as an opportunity for the country to demonstrate its commitment to combating impunity for serious international crimes.
The complaint argues that victims are unlikely to obtain effective justice in Sudan because of the collapse and inaccessibility of the country’s judicial system. It also notes that the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over Sudan is limited to crimes committed in Darfur and does not extend to alleged offences committed in Khartoum.
Kenyan lawyer Willis Otieno, who filed the complaint locally, said information suggested that some of the individuals named in the case had links to Kenya and that the country had the legal framework and institutions required to investigate and prosecute international crimes.
The RSF, which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces since April 2023, has faced repeated accusations from the United Nations and human rights organisations of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in Darfur.
The paramilitary force emerged from the Janjaweed militias accused of widespread atrocities during the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s. The United States under the Biden administration accused the RSF of committing genocide and imposed sanctions on its commander, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and other senior figures.
The complaint comes amid scrutiny of relations between the RSF and Kenya, where President William Ruto previously hosted Dagalo for talks described by Nairobi as part of efforts to advance peace in Sudan, triggering diplomatic tensions.
Sudan’s war has killed at least 59,000 people since April 2023, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), although the actual death toll is believed to be significantly higher.
The conflict has also created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with around 34 million people—nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s population—requiring humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
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