🔗 Share this article

Fighters laugh as they travel on the back of a transport truck, hurrying alongside a series of multiple dead bodies and heading in the direction of the setting Sudanese evening sky.

"Look at this extensive accomplishment. Look at this act of genocide," one exclaims.

The individual grins as he turns the camera on his own face and his associate combatants, their Rapid Support Forces insignia on display: "The victims shall all die like this."

The men are celebrating a massacre that relief organizations fear killed over thousands of people in the African urban center of al-Fashir during October.

A Community Isolated from the Outside

Having held the urban area under blockade for approximately 24 months, from the summer the RSF advanced to consolidate its position and prevent access for the surviving civilian population.

Space-based imagery show that forces began to construct a massive sand wall - a built-up sand barrier - around the perimeter of the city, closing entry points and preventing aid.

During the encirclement worsened, multiple civilians were killed in an militia attack on a mosque on mid-September, while the United Nations said fifty-three more were killed in drone and artillery strikes on a refugee settlement in fall.

Graphic Video Depicts Weaponless Civilians Gunned Down

At dawn on 26 October the paramilitary force defeated the final army strongholds and captured the main headquarters in the urban area, the command center of the Military Unit, as the military withdrew.

Among the most horrific videos to emerge and studied showed the aftermath of a mass killing at a campus structure on the western side of the urban area, where numerous dead bodies were visible scattered throughout the ground.

An older man clad in a robe sat isolated amid the corpses. He looked to gaze as a combatant carrying with a rifle proceeded descending the steps in the direction of the individual. pointing his weapon, the fighter released a single shot at the man, who fell to the floor lifeless.

"Why is this one still alive," a combatant shouted. "Kill this person."

Orbital photography taken on 26 October appeared to substantiate that executions were furthermore conducted on the thoroughfares of the city, based on a study released by the university analysis team.

A key observer who communicated said they had seen "multiple of our kin being executed - they were collected in one place and everyone eliminated."

RSF Leaders Attempt to Conduct Reputation Management

Following the events that came after the killings, RSF commander acknowledged that his fighters had perpetrated "wrongdoings" and said the incidents would be investigated.

Part of the detained was following a investigation recording his executions. Carefully orchestrated and modified recording published on the militia's formal Telegram account depict him being taken into a detention area at a detention facility on the perimeter of el-Fasher.

At the same time, the RSF and associated social media channels started trying to reshape the story.

Content showing its fighters distributing supplies to civilians were shared by several users, while the paramilitary's media office released numerous recordings claiming to demonstrate the compassionate handling of army prisoners of war.

Despite the digital initiative being employed by the militia, their actions in al-Fashir have generated global anger.