Allegations of Mass Killing Cover-Up in el-Fasher
A research team from Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has reported that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) engaged in efforts to conceal mass killings in the city of el-Fasher. These efforts reportedly involved the burial and burning of bodies following the RSF's capture of the city in October. The RSF leader previously acknowledged that some violations had occurred in the city.
Satellite Imagery Analysis
HRL's analysis of satellite images indicates that the RSF likely disposed of a significant number of bodies after seizing el-Fasher. The HRL report describes the RSF as having undertaken a "systematic multi-week campaign to destroy evidence of its widespread mass killings," a pattern stated to be ongoing. Further analysis of satellite imagery identified clusters in multiple locations within weeks of el-Fasher's fall, which HRL interprets as continued efforts by the RSF to remove evidence. Additionally, over 80 clusters were located outside the city, which HRL suggests indicates killings of individuals attempting to flee.
Satellite evidence from November indicates limited civilian activity in the city since its seizure.
Conflict Context and Humanitarian Situation
The RSF has been engaged in conflict with Sudan's regular army since April 2023, a confrontation that escalated into a civil war. The United Nations (UN) has characterized the situation as a humanitarian disaster. The RSF captured el-Fasher after an 18-month siege, thereby removing the army's final presence in the Darfur region. The UN was among several international bodies that accused the RSF of civilian killings during the fall of el-Fasher.
Aid agencies have reported a low number of civilians successfully fleeing el-Fasher following the RSF seizure. The UN estimates approximately 250,000 people remained in the city, with fewer than half of that number believed to have reached external camps for displaced persons. More than 13 million people are estimated to have been displaced since the conflict began.
RSF Response and Current Developments
Following international criticism, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo announced an investigation into what he termed violations committed by his soldiers during the capture of el-Fasher. The group has continued to deny widespread allegations of ethnically motivated killings, which reportedly target non-Arab populations by Arab paramilitaries.
The RSF has utilized the seizure of el-Fasher to strengthen its position in western Sudan and has established a parallel government in Nyala, another city in Darfur. Sudan's army maintains control over the majority of the country, with ongoing fighting between the two groups.