RSF militiaโ Accused of Mass Killings in โขEl Fasher, Sudan, as โฃevidence โขof Brutal Massacre โMounts
El Fasher,โค Sudan โค- A harrowing investigation by BBCโ Verify โand analysis of โsatellite imagery reveals evidence of a systematic massacre carriedโ out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in El Fasher, โSudan, โขresulting in the deathsโข of an estimated 2,000 people. โThe killings,which began in mid-October,targeted primarilyโข membersโค of the Masalit ethnic group and their allies,escalating a brutal โคconflict withinโข the already war-torn Darfur region. The atrocities โขunderscore aโฃ deepening โฃhumanitarian โcrisis and raise urgent questionsโ about accountabilityโ for war crimes.
The escalating violence in El โFasher,โข a city already grappling withโ the effects of a widerโฃ conflict between the RSF and โthe Sudanese โarmy,โ representsโ a โขcatastrophic turning point. The targeted killings, โcoupled with evidence of attempts to conceal mass graves, signal a deliberate โคcampaign of ethnic cleansing. This โmassacre threatens to furtherโค destabilize the region, exacerbate existing tensions, and โขpotentially ignite widerโค ethnic conflict, demandingโข immediate international โattention and aโฃ robust response to prevent further โatrocities.
Evidence gathered by BBC Verify, includingโข eyewitness accounts and meticulouslyโ documented โfootage, points to a coordinated campaign of violence led by โคRSF commander Abu Lulu. โA Yale University analyst has accused the RSF of โattempting to “purge their alleged massโ crimes,” a claim supported by โsatellite imagery showing โthe removal of objects resembling human โฃbodies from a โฃlocation near โan RSF base. Further imagery identified potential graves near theโ children’s hospital in El fasher.
On October โ30, BBC Verifyโค measured a whiteโ object withinโข the hospitalโ grounds to be between โ1.6 and โค2 metersโ in length – consistent with the size of a body wrapped in a shroud, โคa common practice in Sudanese burials. Thisโฃ revelation, alongside reports of widespread killings, paints a grim picture ofโฃ the situation on the โground.
The RSF has activelyโฃ worked to control the narrative surrounding โthe events in El fasher.While sharing footage on their official Telegram account depicting Abu Lulu being led into โa prison cell, seemingly indicating โฃan arrest, the group simultaneously launched a social media campaign showcasing aidโ distribution and portraying โขhumane treatment of prisoners of war. However, these efforts have failed to quell the growing international outrage.
Despite repeated requests from BBC โVerify forโข comment,โค the RSFโ has remained silent โregarding โคthe allegations. The investigation was supported โฃby contributionsโ fromโ kevin Nguyen, โคKumar malhotra, โRichard Irvine-Brown, Daniele Palumbo, Alex Murray, Barbara Metzler, Lamees Altalebi, and โฃAhmed Nour, with graphics provided โขbyโ Jess Carr and Mesut Ersoz.
