Sudan's Western Darfur region has descended into chaos after paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of the city of El Fasher, leading to reports of ethnically motivated mass killings and atrocities. Satellite imagery from Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab suggests that the RSF may be engaging in systematic ethnic cleansing against non-Arab communities, including the Fur, Zaghawa, and Berti Indigenous groups.
Eyewitness footage appears to show the RSF executing unarmed civilians at point-blank range, while video footage purportedly taken by pro-democracy activists depicts dozens of people lying dead on the ground alongside burnt-out vehicles. These claims have been corroborated by the Joint Forces, an alliance with Sudan's army, which has accused the RSF of executing over 2,000 unarmed civilians in recent days.
The Yale Lab describes the city as being "in a systematic and intentional process of ethnic cleansing," including forced displacement and summary executions. Satellite evidence suggests that bodies on the ground are showing signs of red discoloration, consistent with mass killings. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Yale Lab, compares the level of violence in El Fasher to the first 24 hours of the Rwandan genocide.
The RSF has been engaged in a bloody civil war with Sudan's army since April 2023, resulting in over 150,000 deaths and more than 14 million displaced people. The UN rights chief, Volker Türk, warns that there is a growing risk of "ethnically motivated violations and atrocities" in El Fasher.
Humanitarian organizations are racing to provide aid to those trapped in the city, with Médecins Sans Frontières reporting a massive influx of wounded civilians from El Fasher. The Darfur Internally Displaced People Network describes the crisis as "the final stage of the Darfur genocide," with reports of entire families hanging from trees and ditches filled with bodies.
The RSF's capture of El Fasher marks a significant turning point in the war, giving them control over all five state capitals in Darfur. This development raises concerns that Sudan could face partition, with the army excluded from nearly a third of the country's territory.
Eyewitness footage appears to show the RSF executing unarmed civilians at point-blank range, while video footage purportedly taken by pro-democracy activists depicts dozens of people lying dead on the ground alongside burnt-out vehicles. These claims have been corroborated by the Joint Forces, an alliance with Sudan's army, which has accused the RSF of executing over 2,000 unarmed civilians in recent days.
The Yale Lab describes the city as being "in a systematic and intentional process of ethnic cleansing," including forced displacement and summary executions. Satellite evidence suggests that bodies on the ground are showing signs of red discoloration, consistent with mass killings. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Yale Lab, compares the level of violence in El Fasher to the first 24 hours of the Rwandan genocide.
The RSF has been engaged in a bloody civil war with Sudan's army since April 2023, resulting in over 150,000 deaths and more than 14 million displaced people. The UN rights chief, Volker Türk, warns that there is a growing risk of "ethnically motivated violations and atrocities" in El Fasher.
Humanitarian organizations are racing to provide aid to those trapped in the city, with Médecins Sans Frontières reporting a massive influx of wounded civilians from El Fasher. The Darfur Internally Displaced People Network describes the crisis as "the final stage of the Darfur genocide," with reports of entire families hanging from trees and ditches filled with bodies.
The RSF's capture of El Fasher marks a significant turning point in the war, giving them control over all five state capitals in Darfur. This development raises concerns that Sudan could face partition, with the army excluded from nearly a third of the country's territory.
I cant even imagine what its like to be living in a city where ppl are being executed and forced to flee their homes. The fact that theres red discoloration on bodys is just horrific. 2,000 unarmed civs killed is CRAZY! 
How can one group of people do so much harm to another? The UN rights chief is right its like the final stage of a genocide. We need to get more aid in ASAP or else ppl will be dying for sure. Partitioning sudan would be a disaster too...
. The RSF needs to get their act together ASAP. It's crazy how the city has descended into chaos like this. What's going on in El Fasher right now is like a war crime scenario 
. I'm so worried about the lives lost and displaced people... it's just heartbreaking. And now they're talking about partition? That would be devastating for Sudan 
. Can't we just have world leaders get together to find a peaceful solution to these conflicts? 
its not just 1-2k deaths, its over 2 MILLION people displaced n more than 150k deaths in this civil war since april 2023 
thats like a whole army gone 
& the RSF takin control of el fasher is super sus cuz u got eyewitnesses showin mass killings n the UN rights chief sayin ethnically motivated violations are on the rise 
It's not even like they were fighting back or anything. This systematic ethnic cleansing is straight up terrifying. I mean, we've been hearing about the Darfur genocide for ages now, but it feels like it's getting worse by the day. The RSF taking control of El Fasher is like a ticking time bomb, and if the UN doesn't do something ASAP, it could escalate into full-blown chaos 
. Partition is a real possibility, which would be a nightmare for Sudan as a whole. We need to get those humanitarian organizations in there ASAP to help out. This isn't some sort of civil war drama - people are dying left and right 
I'm seeing some pretty alarming reports coming out of Sudan right now and I need to fact-check this stuff. The claims of ethnic cleansing are super serious so I'd love to see more evidence from credible sources. Satellite imagery is one thing, but how can we trust that the Yale Lab's analysis isn't being biased? And what about the eyewitness footage - isn't it possible that those videos could be manipulated or staged? 
. The scale of this crisis is massive, with over 150,000 deaths and 14 million displaced people... it's like the world is just standing by 
. I hope humanitarian organizations can get in there ASAP to provide aid, but at what cost? 
. We need to raise awareness and get those humanitarian orgs on the ground there ASAP so they can provide aid to all these people 
. partition sounds like a possible outcome now - can't imagine what that would look like for sudan... 
. But let's be real, by then it'll probably be too late, and we'll all just have to deal with the aftermath of this whole thing.
... RSF's actions are straight outta war movies, but we're living in reality 
... Sudan needs help from the international community, like yesterday! 
they need it now more than ever.
this is literally heartbreaking what's happening in Sudan rn, i mean i keep reading about these reports of ethnic killings and atrocities and it just feels like we're watching history repeat itself all over again. 2k+ unarmed civilians executed in one day? that's insane. and the fact that satellite imagery can confirm it's not just some crazy eyewitness claims but actual evidence is just devastating 
i feel so bad for the ppl caught up in this chaos but you know what also really got me thinking? how can we use these kinds of tragic events to bring people together instead of tearing them apart? like, we need to be supporting organizations that are on the ground helping those ppl ASAP 
and also bringing attention to the situation so more ppl know what's going on. it's crazy when a war between 2 groups can just spark this level of violence and displacement 
