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The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in Sudan’s protracted civil war, have been accused of executing unarmed civilians following their capture of the strategic city of el-Fasher. Newly analyzed videos by BBC Verify depict men in military attire, some bearing RSF insignia, carrying out acts of extreme violence. The UN’s Sudan coordinator, Denise Brown, confirmed receiving credible reports of summary executions in the city, labeling such acts as war crimes under the Geneva Convention. The RSF, however, denies targeting civilians, with adviser Imran Abdullah stating their focus remains on military objectives. The conflict, which erupted in 2023, has claimed over 150,000 lives and displaced approximately 12 million people. Satellite imagery analyzed by Yale University’s Human Rights Laboratory suggests mass killings in el-Fasher, with clusters consistent with human bodies visible in recent images. Despite these findings, BBC Verify cannot independently confirm the exact nature of the events due to the lack of on-the-ground footage. The RSF, which controls much of Darfur and Kordofan, has a history of ethnically motivated violence, with analysts attributing some actions to the group’s decentralized structure. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have regained control of key areas, including the capital Khartoum, but el-Fasher’s fall marks a significant shift in the conflict’s dynamics. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, with the US previously labeling RSF actions as genocide.

Sudan, a nation in northeast Africa, has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since April 2023, triggered by a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group. The conflict has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and displaced approximately 12 million people, creating what the United Nations has termed the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The war has exacerbated existing poverty, with state revenues plummeting by 80% in 2024, further crippling the nation’s economy. The roots of the conflict trace back to the 2019 ousting of long-time President Omar al-Bashir, followed by a series of coups and failed attempts at establishing a civilian-led government. The current war is fueled by disagreements between SAF leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, particularly over the integration of the RSF into the national army. The RSF, which originated from the notorious Janjaweed militia, has been accused of committing atrocities, including genocide and ethnic cleansing in Darfur. The conflict has seen the RSF gain control of key territories, including el-Fasher, while the SAF retains dominance in the north and east. International efforts to broker peace have failed, with both sides showing little willingness to compromise. The humanitarian situation is dire, with over 24 million people facing acute food insecurity and aid operations severely hampered. The international community’s response has been criticized as inadequate, with calls for urgent action to prevent further catastrophe.

In a harrowing escalation of violence, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been accused of committing mass atrocities in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, over the weekend. According to the United Nations, displaced residents, and aid workers, the RSF killed hundreds of people, including patients in the Saudi Maternity Hospital. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), expressed profound shock, stating that 460 patients and companions were reportedly massacred. The Sudan Doctors Network corroborated these reports, describing the killings as cold-blooded executions of everyone inside the hospital. Witnesses recounted RSF fighters going house-to-house, beating and shooting civilians, including women and children, with many dying in the streets as they attempted to flee. Satellite imagery from the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) corroborated mass killings around the hospital and other locations, suggesting systematic executions. The RSF’s actions have drawn global condemnation, with France, Germany, the UK, and the EU denouncing the atrocities. Human Rights Watch’s Mohamed Osman emphasized the urgent need for international intervention to protect civilians. U.S. Senator Jim Risch called for the RSF to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization, citing its role in genocide and unspeakable crimes against the Sudanese people. Aid groups warn of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with hundreds killed and thousands displaced, while communication blackouts obscure the true scale of the violence.

Sudan’s military government has ordered the expulsion of two senior officials from the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) amidst a deepening humanitarian crisis fueled by a brutal civil war that began in April 2023. The WFP confirmed that its Sudan operation directors were declared ‘personae non grata’ and given 72 hours to leave the country without any explanation. This decision follows the recent capture of the strategic city of el-Fasher in Darfur by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after an 18-month siege, which included a severe food blockade. The WFP described the expulsions as occurring at a ‘pivotal time,’ with over 24 million Sudanese facing acute food insecurity—the highest level of need in the country’s history. While the military government has not provided a reason for the expulsions, it has previously accused aid organizations of violating local laws and disseminating misleading reports on famine conditions. Despite the expulsion, the government stated that its cooperation with the WFP would continue, according to the state news agency Suna. The WFP is currently in discussions with Sudanese authorities to address the situation. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF has intensified, with the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher raising fears for the safety of approximately 250,000 residents, many from non-Arab communities. Reports of atrocities, including mass killings, have surged since the city fell. Escaped residents have described dire conditions, including looting and indiscriminate violence. The RSF has denied targeting civilians, but allegations of ethnic violence persist, with local activists and international researchers accusing the group of executing wounded individuals at el-Fasher’s Saudi Hospital. The international community, including the European Union and African Union, has expressed grave concern, with many drawing parallels to the Darfur genocide of 2003-2020. Sudanese-American poet Emtithal Mahmoud, who has family in el-Fasher, warned that the current violence resembles a ‘genocide,’ amplified by the RSF’s use of social media to broadcast their actions. The situation in Sudan remains critical, with the conflict and famine threatening to push the country further into chaos.