'Our Mission Consists of Only Executing' - The Way Sudan's Ruthless Fighting Force Carried out a Mass Killing

Alert: This Story Includes Explicit Accounts of Executions.

Militiamen chuckle as they ride on the rear of a transport truck, racing by a line of nine dead bodies and driving towards the descending Sudanese sunset.

"Look at this extensive accomplishment. See this act of mass destruction," one shouts.

He beams as he turns the camera on himself and his companion combatants, their RSF badges clearly shown: "These people will all die this way."

The men are rejoicing over a massacre that aid workers believe killed more than thousands of people in the Sudan's urban center of el-Fasher in recent weeks.

An Urban Center Severed from the Outside

Having held the city under blockade for nearly two years, from late summer the militia advanced to consolidate its control and prevent access for the surviving civilian population.

Satellite images show that fighters started to construct a massive earth barrier - a raised dirt embankment - encircling the perimeter of al-Fashir, closing access routes and halting aid.

As the siege intensified, seventy-eight people were slain in an RSF strike on a place of worship on 19 September, while the international organization reported 53 further were slain in unmanned aircraft and heavy weapon bombardments on a displacement camp in October.

Graphic Video Shows Unarmed Civilians Executed

At dawn on October 26th the paramilitary force overwhelmed the final military strongholds and captured the primary compound in the urban area, the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division, as the military withdrew.

Among the most disturbing footage to emerge and studied depicted the aftermath of a mass killing at a campus structure on the western of the urban area, where scores lifeless forms were visible spread over the ground.

An older man clad in a robe was seated by himself surrounded by the corpses. He turned to glance as a militiaman armed with a firearm moved along the steps in the direction of the victim. lifting his rifle, the shooter fired a single bullet at the man, who collapsed to the surface lifeless.

"Why is this one still alive," one fighter shouted. "Shoot this person."

Satellite images taken on October 26th seemed to confirm that executions were additionally carried out on the roads of el-Fasher, as reported by a study published by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.

An eyewitness who communicated said they had seen "numerous of our family members being massacred - the victims were assembled in one place and each one murdered."

Paramilitary Officers Attempt to Implement Reputation Management

During the period that ensued from the atrocity, militia chief conceded that his troops had perpetrated "violations" and stated the incidents would be examined.

Included among detained was after a report recording his killings. Meticulously choreographed and modified recording published on the militia's official Telegram channel depict him being led into a detention area at a prison on the edges of the city.

At the same time, the RSF and affiliated online accounts commenced seeking to alter the story.

Content showing its combatants distributing aid to residents were disseminated by several users, while the militia's communications team published several recordings claiming to display the compassionate treatment of military captives.

In spite of the social media campaign being used by the paramilitary, their actions in al-Fashir have provoked global anger.

Tonya Chavez MD
Tonya Chavez MD

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