EL FASHER, SUDAN \u2014<\/strong> In a dramatic turn within Sudan\u2019s protracted civil conflict, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have reportedly arrested one of their own senior officers, Brigadier General Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, widely known by his nom de guerre \u201cAbu Lulu\u201d and infamously nicknamed the \u201cButcher of the Century.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The detention comes in the wake of mounting international outrage over mass atrocities committed in El Fasher, North Darfur\u2019s capital, following its recent capture by the RSF from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brig. Gen. Idris rose to notoriety after multiple graphic videos surfaced online in which he allegedly appears shooting unarmed civilians at point-blank range and boasting about large-scale killings. In one widely circulated clip, he reportedly claims to have killed over 2,000 people following El Fasher\u2019s fall to RSF control earlier this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Independent open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts and human rights monitors, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have verified several of these videos, confirming that they show systematic executions and mass graves consistent with crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Witnesses describe the aftermath in El Fasher as a city turned into a killing field, with homes torched, hospitals looted, and survivors fleeing amid widespread sexual violence and targeted ethnic attacks \u2014 particularly against the Zaghawa and Fur communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a statement released via its official Telegram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts, the RSF confirmed the arrest of several fighters accused of \u201cviolations that occurred during the liberation of El Fasher.\u201d The group released an image \u2014 purportedly showing Idris behind bars in a North Darfur detention facility \u2014 claiming that \u201clegal committees\u201d had begun investigations to uphold \u201cthe law, rules of conduct, and military discipline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, analysts and diplomats view the move as a public relations maneuver aimed at deflecting international condemnation and shielding RSF leadership, including General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), from direct accountability for atrocities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cArresting one commander is not justice,\u201d said a senior African Union official on condition of anonymity. \u201cThe RSF cannot investigate itself while mass graves are still being uncovered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fall of El Fasher, the last major SAF-held city in Darfur, marks a pivotal \u2014 and catastrophic \u2014 moment in Sudan\u2019s year-and-a-half-long civil war. UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres called for an immediate independent investigation into the El Fasher massacres, urging the RSF and SAF to \u201cgrant full humanitarian access and cease attacks on civilians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known within RSF ranks as Abu Lulu, is believed to be in his mid-40s and has served as a field commander in Darfur since the early 2000s. He was part of the Janjaweed militia, which evolved into the RSF \u2014 a force long accused of atrocities during both the Darfur genocide (2003\u20132008) and the current Sudanese civil war that erupted in April 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Local sources describe Idris as a ruthless and feared commander, with a reputation for \u201cenforcing terror as a tactic.\u201d His arrest \u2014 if genuine \u2014 marks the first known detention of a senior RSF officer for war crimes since the conflict began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts suggest that Idris\u2019s arrest may signal internal fractures within the RSF, or an effort by Hemedti to demonstrate a fa\u00e7ade of discipline amid global outrage. EL FASHER, SUDAN \u2014 In a dramatic turn within Sudan\u2019s protracted civil conflict, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have reportedly arrested one of their own senior officers, Brigadier General Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, widely known by his nom de guerre \u201cAbu Lulu\u201d and infamously nicknamed the \u201cButcher of the Century.\u201d The detention comes in the wake…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international"],"yoast_head":"\nAccused of Atrocities in El Fasher<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
RSF Confirms Detention, Faces Global Scrutiny<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 10,000 civilians are believed to have been killed in the past month alone, while more than 700,000 people have fled their homes. Aid convoys remain unable to enter the city due to ongoing fighting and looting.<\/p>\n\n\n\nInternational Reaction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Who Is \u2018Abu Lulu\u2019?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Analysis: Tactical Sacrifice or Genuine Accountability?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s unlikely the RSF would detain one of its most notorious field officers without calculating the diplomatic advantage,\u201d said Dr. Leila Mahmoud, a Sudanese conflict researcher. \u201cThey\u2019re losing the information war internationally \u2014 this is a containment strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"