The ICC prosecutor's office warned on Monday that atrocities committed in El-Fasher, a city in Sudan, could represent war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This warning follows the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seizing control of the city on October 26 after an eighteen-month siege that included bombardment and starvation.

The conflict has specifically affected the western Darfur region.

The ICC prosecutor's office expressed 'profound alarm and deepest concern' in response to reports from El-Fasher detailing mass killings, rapes, and other alleged crimes.

They noted that these actions fit a larger pattern of violence affecting the entire Darfur region since April 2023.

If verified, such acts could be in violation of the Rome Statute, which forms the basis of the ICC.

The United Nations reports more than 65,000 individuals have fled El-Fasher, with around 5,000 moving to the nearby town of Tawila; however, tens of thousands remain stranded.

Prior to the final assault on the city, approximately 260,000 people lived there.

Since the RSF took control, accounts of executions, sexual violence, looting, attacks on aid workers, and abductions have emerged, despite limited communication from the area.

The RSF has ties to the Janjaweed militia, which was accused of genocide in Darfur twenty years ago.

The ICC recently convicted a former leader of this militia for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the region.

This verdict serves as a reminder that there will be accountability for such grave offenses, according to the ICC prosecutor's office.

They also underscored that the court has jurisdiction over the ongoing conflict in Darfur and is actively seeking evidence related to these events.

Currently, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan, is on leave due to allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies.

The caseload for Sudan's situation and others are currently managed by his deputy prosecutors while an investigation into Khan's conduct continues.