American experts have claimed that Sudanese paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is digging mass graves in El Fasher, the capital of Darfur, to bury victims killed during recent violence.
Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, told Arab media that the RSF is burying bodies to erase evidence of a large-scale massacre in El Fasher. He said, “If there is to be any real investigation into the atrocities in El Fasher, the RSF must leave the city and allow the United Nations, Red Cross, and aid agencies full access. We cannot expect the killers to investigate themselves.”
According to media reports, the RSF took full control of El Fasher on October 26 after Sudanese army (SAF) forces withdrew. Since then, reports have surfaced of widespread killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and severe human rights abuses.
The United Nations said more than 70,000 people have fled El Fasher and nearby areas since the RSF takeover, while thousands remain trapped without access to food, water, or medical aid.
UNHCR representative Jacqueline Wilma Par Lioulet warned that worsening security conditions have halted humanitarian operations and left thousands stranded in the city.
Yale University’s report, released on October 28, said satellite images show traces of blood and mass burials in several locations across El Fasher. Raymond added, “The RSF is gathering bodies and digging mass graves. It is a clear attempt to cover up the large-scale killings from the massacre.”
Sudanese journalist Abdullah Hussain told media that even before the RSF seized full control, El Fasher had been under siege for 18 months. “No aid reached the city, hospitals were closed, and now the situation has become even worse,” he said.
According to media reports, over 2,000 people have been killed in El Fasher since the RSF seized control on October 26.