BBC Investigation Finds RSF Deliberately Attacked Sudan Hospitals

WHO:

BBC - The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters were identified as the attackers in the BBC investigation.

BBC News - UN human rights chief Volker Türk said the attacks may amount to war crimes.

BBC - A speaker quoted in the report said medics and many people at the hospitals were allied with the Joint Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

WHAT:

BBC News - The investigation found evidence that Sudanese paramilitary fighters systematically destroyed el-Fasher’s healthcare system during the city’s long siege and subsequent takeover.

BBC - A BBC investigation found that RSF fighters deliberately targeted hospitals in el-Fasher.

BBC News - The investigation found hospitals were deliberately targeted by Sudan’s RSF fighters.

BBC News - Volker Türk said the multiple attacks may amount to war crimes.

BBC - A speaker disputed relying on the account of medics and others at the hospitals, saying they were allied with the Joint Forces and the SAF.

WHERE:

BBC News - The city is in Darfur.

BBC - The reported hospital attacks took place in el-Fasher, Sudan.

BBC - The quoted speaker referred to medics and other people who were at the hospitals.

WHEN:

BBC News - The siege and takeover occurred a year before the investigation.

WHY:

BBC - The quoted speaker cited “this conflict, these tribal issues, these racial issues” as reasons medics and others were allied with the Joint Forces and the SAF.

HOW:

BBC - The quoted speaker said: “Even the medics, and many of the people who were there, because of this conflict, these tribal issues, these racial issues, they are allied with the Joint Forces and with the SAF. That's why you don't depend on that narrative.”

(UPDATED October 23, 2026 13:21 UTC)

A BBC investigation found that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces systematically targeted hospitals in el-Fasher, in the Darfur region, destroying the city’s healthcare system during a prolonged siege and the takeover that followed. The events took place a year before the investigation. The report identified RSF fighters as the attackers and found that hospitals were deliberately hit. UN human rights chief Volker Türk said the multiple attacks may amount to war crimes. One speaker disputed relying on accounts from medics and others who were at the hospitals, saying many were allied with the Joint Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces. The speaker cited the conflict, tribal divisions and racial issues as reasons for those alliances. The investigation’s findings describe a sustained assault on healthcare facilities amid the siege and capture of the city.

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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 07:26 UTC)

A BBC investigation found that Rapid Support Forces fighters deliberately targeted hospitals in el-Fasher, Sudan. The attacks were described as multiple strikes on medical facilities, and the findings have prompted concern from the United Nations’ human rights chief. Volker Türk said the attacks may amount to war crimes. A speaker quoted in the report challenged reliance on accounts from medics and other people at the hospitals. The speaker said many of them were allied with the Joint Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF. They cited the conflict, as well as tribal and racial issues, as reasons for those alleged affiliations. The speaker argued that this meant their accounts should not be relied upon. The investigation identified the RSF fighters as the attackers, while Türk’s remarks addressed the possible legal significance of the hospital strikes.