Kenyan Prosecutors Receive First Universal-Jurisdiction Complaint Seeking Probe of Sudanese RSF Members for Alleged War Crimes
Legal groups submitted the first known universal jurisdiction case in Kenya on behalf of twelve Sudanese victims. The petition targets ten alleged RSF members for crimes committed between April 2023 and March 2025.
rte.ieA criminal complaint has been filed in Nairobi seeking the prosecution of members of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The complaint was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions on behalf of twelve Sudanese victims by Legal Action Worldwide and the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies.
It calls for investigations into ten alleged RSF members.
The alleged crimes were committed during the Sudan conflict between April 2023 and March 2025. They include detention, torture, sexual violence, forced labour, and killings reported in and around Khartoum, including facilities such as Soba Prison and the Al-Riyadh complex.
One survivor described being violently interrogated, held in darkness for weeks, and forced at gunpoint to commit sexual violence against a fellow detainee.
A survivor identified as Ali B said, "For the first time, I feel my voice has been heard. " Mossaad Mohamed Ali, Executive Director of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, said: "The victims and survivors have waited a long time to see justice served at the national and international levels.
" Dr Owiso Owiso, the Kenyan lawyer representing the victims, said: "This is not only an opportunity to test Kenya's commitment to international justice.
The complaint marks the first known attempt in Kenya's history to invoke universal jurisdiction for atrocities committed outside Kenya's borders. The complainants argue that some of the accused have alleged links to Kenya. The Director of Public Prosecutions is expected to determine within 30 days whether to open a formal investigation.
