A widely circulated video appearing to show a member of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) summarily executing an unarmed civilian trying to flee the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur sparked condemnation from political parties and human rights groups on Monday.

The video shows an RSF member confronting an unarmed man, questioning him about the location of an army commander and his tribe, before firing multiple rounds from his weapon, killing him instantly.

The rights group Emergency Lawyers described the incident as a “war crime and a crime against humanity” in a statement. The group said filming and broadcasting the act highlighted a systematic policy of extrajudicial killings used as a tool of intimidation.

“This crime…reveals the absence of any legal or moral deterrent,” the statement said, holding the RSF leadership fully responsible. The group, which monitors violations by both sides of the conflict, demanded an urgent and independent international investigation and called for the officer responsible to be handed over to international justice.

Activists identified the officer in the video as al-Fatih Idris, also known as “Abu Lulu,” who has allegedly been documented in similar incidents in Khartoum, Al Jazirah, and the Kordofan states.

Emergency Lawyers noted that while the RSF has repeatedly claimed to reject such conduct and has announced investigations, no tangible results have ever been made public, entrenching a policy of impunity.

The incident follows other recent violence around El Fasher, the last army stronghold in the Darfur region. On Saturday, RSF elements were accused of killing 12 civilians in the town of Shaqra. On the same day, RSF shelling on the Abu Shouk camp north of the city killed another 30 people, according to reports.

Sudan’s National Umma Party condemned the “heinous crime” in the “strongest terms,” stating it exposed the “falsity of the RSF’s claims about its commitment to protecting civilians.” The party urged the international community and the United Nations to document the crimes and demand accountability.

The RSF has been trying to seize El Fasher since May 2024, imposing a crushing siege that has created a severe humanitarian crisis and prevented civilians from escaping the violence.