Emerging evidence of systematic killings in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher have prompted human rights and aid activists to describe the civil war between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the military as a continuation of the Darfur genocide. The fall of el-Fasher, in the Darfur region, after an 18-month RSF siege brings together the different layers of the country's conflict – with echoes of its dark past and the brutality of its present-day war.
The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed, Arab militias who massacred hundreds of thousands of Darfuris from non-Arab populations, in the early 2000s. The paramilitary force has been accused of ethnic killings since its power struggle with the army erupted into violence in April 2023. The RSF leadership has consistently denied the accusations, although on Wednesday its leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo admitted to violations in el-Fasher.
Current allegations are based on apparent evidence of atrocities provided by RSF fighters, who have been sharing gruesome videos reportedly showing summary executions of mostly male civilians and ex-combatants, celebrating over dead bodies, and taunting and abusing people.
Accounts from exhausted survivors also paint a picture of terror and violence. The situation in el-Fasher is extremely dire and there are violations taking place on the roads, including looting and shooting, with no distinction made between young or old, one escapee told the BBC Arabic service. Eyewitnesses describe horrifying scenes where RSF soldiers separated fleeing civilians at an earthen barrier and shot the men.
Evidence collected, including satellite images from Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, points towards what appear to be massacre sites in the region.
The ethnic dynamics of the conflict are highlighted by the participation of local armed groups from the dominant Zaghawa tribe fighting alongside the military against RSF forces, which perceive Zaghawa civilians as legitimate targets. Activists and observers warn that the international community's failure to act decisively could lead to a repeat of past atrocities, with the lives of many at stake as the RSF continues to act unchecked.
The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed, Arab militias who massacred hundreds of thousands of Darfuris from non-Arab populations, in the early 2000s. The paramilitary force has been accused of ethnic killings since its power struggle with the army erupted into violence in April 2023. The RSF leadership has consistently denied the accusations, although on Wednesday its leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo admitted to violations in el-Fasher.
Current allegations are based on apparent evidence of atrocities provided by RSF fighters, who have been sharing gruesome videos reportedly showing summary executions of mostly male civilians and ex-combatants, celebrating over dead bodies, and taunting and abusing people.
Accounts from exhausted survivors also paint a picture of terror and violence. The situation in el-Fasher is extremely dire and there are violations taking place on the roads, including looting and shooting, with no distinction made between young or old, one escapee told the BBC Arabic service. Eyewitnesses describe horrifying scenes where RSF soldiers separated fleeing civilians at an earthen barrier and shot the men.
Evidence collected, including satellite images from Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, points towards what appear to be massacre sites in the region.
The ethnic dynamics of the conflict are highlighted by the participation of local armed groups from the dominant Zaghawa tribe fighting alongside the military against RSF forces, which perceive Zaghawa civilians as legitimate targets. Activists and observers warn that the international community's failure to act decisively could lead to a repeat of past atrocities, with the lives of many at stake as the RSF continues to act unchecked.
