The humanitarian crisis in Al-Fashir, the capital of Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region, has taken a terrifying turn. American experts claim that the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are allegedly digging mass graves and burying the bodies of those killed in large-scale atrocities, in an attempt to destroy evidence of the recent massacre.
Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University, made this shocking claim in an interview with Arab media. Raymond stressed that for any genuine investigation into the recent brutality in Al-Fashir, the RSF must withdraw from the city and allow the UN, Red Cross, and aid agencies access to every household. Emotionally, he pointed out, “We cannot expect the murderers to conduct their own investigation.”
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Post-Takeover
According to international media reports, the RSF gained full control of Al-Fashir on October 26, following the withdrawal of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Since the takeover, the city has reported widespread killings, enforced disappearances, mass executions, sexual violence, and severe human rights violations.
UN figures indicate that more than 70,000 individuals have been displaced from Al-Fashir and its surrounding areas since the RSF seized control. Thousands of trapped civilians face a dire lack of food, water, and medical aid. Jacqueline Wilma Par Levillet, a representative for UNHCR, warned that aid activities have been halted due to the deteriorating security situation, leaving thousands stranded.
Satellite Evidence and Concealment Attempts
A Yale University report from October 28 corroborated these concerns, revealing signs of blood and mass burials in various locations across the city via satellite imagery. Nathaniel Raymond called the RSF’s action of gathering bodies and digging mass graves “a clear attempt to hide the scale of mass casualty events resulting from the slaughter.”
Sudanese journalist Abdullah Hussein told Al Jazeera that Al-Fashir was already under siege for 18 months even before the RSF’s complete takeover. He described the desperate situation: “No aid reached here, nor were hospitals open. Now the situation has become even worse and devastating.”
