Written By | Torch Media Africa
Many of those displaced by the violence in el-Fasher have ended up living in camps
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Darfur
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are accused of attempting to conceal large-scale killings in the city of el-Fasher by burying and incinerating bodies, according to researchers from Yale University.
The allegations follow widespread international outrage after reports of executions and crimes against humanity emerged when RSF fighters took control of the city in October.
An investigation by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), based on satellite imagery analysis, indicates that the RSF likely disposed of tens of thousands of bodies in the aftermath of capturing el-Fasher.
While the RSF has not issued a response to the findings, its leader has previously acknowledged that some violations were committed by his forces during the takeover.
The HRL report states that the RSF carried out a “coordinated, weeks-long operation” aimed at erasing evidence of mass killings, adding that the destruction and disposal of bodies appears to be continuing.
The RSF has been engaged in a violent conflict with Sudan’s national army since April 2023, following a power struggle that plunged the country into civil war. The United Nations has described the conflict as the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis.
After an 18-month siege, the RSF seized el-Fasher, a strategic city that represented the army’s last stronghold in the Darfur region. The fall of the city prompted the UN and other international actors to accuse the RSF of massacring civilians.
Researchers say satellite images reveal multiple sites within and around the city where ground disturbances changed over time, suggesting ongoing efforts to remove evidence of killings. More than 80 such sites were identified outside el-Fasher, indicating that civilians were targeted while attempting to escape.
The imagery also shows minimal civilian activity in the city following its capture, pointing to widespread displacement and fear.
In response to global criticism, RSF leader Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo announced an internal investigation into alleged abuses. However, the group continues to reject claims that the violence was ethnically driven, denying accusations that Arab militias targeted non-Arab communities.
Aid organisations have warned that very few civilians managed to flee el-Fasher successfully. The UN estimates that around 250,000 people remained trapped in the city, with fewer than half reaching displacement camps.
Following its takeover of el-Fasher, the RSF has strengthened its grip on western Sudan and established a parallel administration in Nyala, Darfur’s largest city. Meanwhile, Sudan’s army continues to control much of the country, as fighting between the rival forces persists.
Since the war began in April 2023, more than 13 million people are believed to have been displaced nationwide.
Torch Media Africa
