Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris told all government institutions and foreign missions to stand at "full alert" on Thursday following what he described as “ethnic cleansing and genocide” in the city of el-Fasher, days after its capture by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. 

According to Sudanese state news agency SUNA, Idris directed all ministries, institutions and Sudanese embassies abroad to remain on "full alert" in order "to stop ethnic cleansing, genocide, murder, slaughter, arson, torture and crimes against women, children and the elderly,” referring particularly to el-Fasher and Bara, a city in North Kordofan where RSF attacks have forced more than 4,500 people to flee, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. It is unclear how the government-wide directive will prompt action on the part of the Sudanese government against the RSF.

Idris' announcement came after the RSF announced on Sunday that it had seized control of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the last major city in the region held by the Sudanese Armed Forces. The city had been under siege since the early stages of the war, which began in April 2023, and the fighting intensified after the SAF recaptured the capital, Khartoum, in March. 

According to the Sudanese government, more than 2,300 people were killed during the RSF’s takeover of el-Fasher. Videos circulating online appeared to show scenes of mass executions, mutilated bodies and celebrations by RSF fighters.