Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of executions.
Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia celebrated a massacre in Sudan's city of el-Fasher, boasting of their brutality as they drove past the bodies of their victims. Reports indicate that over 2,000 people may have been killed in recent attacks, which humanitarian officials are labeling a genocide.
El-Fasher, the last military stronghold in Darfur, became a target as RSF waged war against the Sudanese military following the collapse of their ruling coalition in 2023. The ongoing violence has claimed the lives of an estimated 150,000 people in the two years of conflict.
Since August, the RSF has effectively besieged el-Fasher, constructing a berm to seal off the city from aid and resources. Graphic footage posted to social media shows unarmed individuals being executed in cold blood by militia members.
As the situation worsened, the RSF escalated their attacks, with recent strikes leading to the deaths of dozens at a mosque and a displacement camp. Eyewitnesses reported seeing horrifying scenes of violence, including captured individuals being tortured and executed in public.
The RSF's approach has been marked by a total disregard for human life, as militia members have shared videos glorifying their actions. International authorities, including the International Criminal Court, are now investigating these instances of apparent war crimes.
In a rare admission, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo acknowledged that his forces had committed violations and claimed that investigations would be conducted. However, the response from the RSF has primarily revolved around damage control and attempts to reframe their narrative through social media presence.
While they attempt to present a humanitarian front, the evidence of their atrocities continues to mount as the world watches and condemns their actions.
