In the heart of Sudan’s Darfur region, the city of el-Fasher has become a symbol of the brutality and chaos unleashed by the country’s ongoing civil war. Recent investigations, satellite imagery, and international responses have laid bare a chilling pattern of atrocities, cover-ups, and a humanitarian disaster on a scale rarely seen in recent history.
According to BBC and Middle East Eye, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—a powerful Sudanese paramilitary group—seized el-Fasher on October 26, 2025, after more than 500 days of relentless siege. The city was the Sudanese army’s last major stronghold in Darfur, and its fall marked a turning point in a conflict that has raged since April 2023. The aftermath, however, has been defined not just by military conquest but by systematic violence against civilians and a concerted effort to erase the evidence.
Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has played a pivotal role in documenting these events. Their analysis of satellite images revealed what many on the ground had already feared: the RSF has been engaged in a multi-week campaign to dispose of tens of thousands of bodies through burial and burning. The HRL’s report, cited by BBC and Middle East Eye, stated that the RSF “engaged in a systematic multi-week campaign to destroy evidence of its widespread mass killings,” a pattern that continues to this day. Clusters of what appear to be human remains have been detected in more than 150 locations in and around el-Fasher, with 108 of these clusters changing size or disappearing entirely between October 26 and November 28, 2025—strongly suggesting the removal and disposal of bodies.
Eyewitness accounts paint an even starker picture. Mohamed Hassan, a resident of el-Fasher, described to Middle East Eye how the RSF entered neighborhoods like Daraja Oula and committed massacres: “I have seen the bodies in Daraja Oula, the area where most civilians were securing themselves in the last days before the city fell into the hands of the RSF. The RSF entered the neighbourhood one by one and fired on everybody.” He added, “They separated the men from the women and children. They lashed and insulted the women verbally and they fired on the men randomly. If they decided that you are a SAF or Joint Forces soldier, they will kill you immediately.”
The HRL’s satellite analysis also showed 38 instances of reddish discoloration consistent with blood or bodily fluids, visible even from space. RSF vehicles were observed near at least 31 of these clusters, and there were 20 instances of burning objects, as well as evidence of mass killings at detention sites and military installations. In one particularly disturbing detail, fighters reportedly took blood from civilians trying to escape the city.
The United Nations has described the conflict in Sudan as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. More than 14 million people have been displaced since the war began, and the death toll is believed to be in the hundreds of thousands, though precise figures are elusive. In el-Fasher alone, the World Food Programme estimated that between 70,000 and 100,000 people remained trapped in December 2025, with the UN estimating that roughly 250,000 were unable to flee the city. Satellite images from November 2025 suggest that civilian activity in the city has been severely limited since the RSF takeover.
International condemnation has been swift and forceful. The UK government, as reported by BBC, imposed sanctions on Brig Gen Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris—better known as Abu Lulu—a key RSF commander linked directly to the el-Fasher massacre. Footage verified by BBC showed Abu Lulu personally executing at least ten unarmed captives with an AK-style rifle. The UK also sanctioned three other RSF commanders, including Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, who had already been placed under EU sanctions. These sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes, targeting those “responsible for violence against individuals based on ethnicity and religion, and the deliberate targeting of civilians.”
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper did not mince words, calling the atrocities “a scar on the conscience of the world” and vowing, “Today’s sanctions against RSF commanders strike directly at those with blood on their hands, while our strengthened aid package will deliver lifesaving support to those suffering.” She also pledged an additional £21 million to provide food, shelter, and health services to civilians affected by the fighting, especially in remote areas.
The United States, too, has taken action. In December 2025, the US announced sanctions against a network of companies and individuals accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight as mercenaries for the RSF, including as infantry and drone pilots. According to the US Treasury Department, hundreds of Colombian mercenaries have traveled to Sudan since 2024. Former President Donald Trump, posting on social media, promised to “start working on Sudan” in cooperation with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, citing the “tremendous atrocities” occurring there.
Despite mounting evidence and international pressure, the RSF has continued to deny that its actions in el-Fasher were ethnically motivated, even as aid agencies and the United Nations have warned of genocide against non-Arab populations. The group’s leader, Gen Mohamed “Hemedti” Dagalo, did admit that his troops had committed “violations” and announced an investigation. In a video posted on the RSF’s official Telegram account, Abu Lulu was shown being led into a prison cell on the outskirts of el-Fasher, though his fate remains unclear. Notably, a TikTok account that had documented Abu Lulu’s activities was removed in October 2025 after BBC Verify contacted the platform.
The RSF has used its victory in el-Fasher to consolidate power in western Sudan, establishing a parallel government in the city of Nyala. Meanwhile, the Sudanese army still controls much of the country, and the fighting continues to displace millions. The international outcry has also drawn attention to the role of external actors, with the United Arab Emirates accused of supporting the RSF—a charge it denies—while Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey have increased their support for the Sudanese Armed Forces.
As the world watches, the people of el-Fasher and the wider Darfur region remain caught in the crossfire, haunted by the memory of mass killings and the ongoing efforts to erase their evidence. The city’s suffering stands as a grim testament to the horrors of war and the urgent need for accountability, humanitarian aid, and a lasting peace.
