🔗 Share this article

Combatants chuckle as they travel on the rear of a utility vehicle, hurrying alongside a line of nine lifeless forms and moving in the direction of the descending Sudanese sun.

"Observe this extensive effort. Observe this instance of ethnic cleansing," one shouts.

The individual smiles as he directs the camera on his person and his fellow fighters, their paramilitary badges clearly shown: "They are all going to die like this."

The men are rejoicing over a mass killing that humanitarian officials fear claimed the lives of more than 2,000 civilians in the Sudan's city of the Darfur city during October.

A Community Severed from the World

Following their control of the urban area under encirclement for approximately an extended period, from late summer the paramilitary force moved to reinforce its dominance and prevent access for the remaining civilian population.

Satellite images show that forces commenced to build a massive sand wall - a built-up sand barrier - surrounding the perimeter of the city, sealing off roads and blocking aid.

While the blockade worsened, 78 civilians were slain in an RSF attack on a place of worship on 19 September, while the United Nations said dozens further were murdered in unmanned aircraft and cannon attacks on a makeshift community in fall.

Disturbing Recording Shows Weaponless People Executed

By sunrise on 26 October the militia conquered the final army defenses and took control of the main base in the urban area, the main facility of the Army Division, as the army withdrew.

One of the most disturbing footage to appear and studied revealed the aftermath of a atrocity at a educational facility on the west of the urban area, where dozens corpses were visible spread over the floor.

A senior individual clad in a white tunic sat by himself amid the corpses. The individual turned to gaze as a fighter armed with a rifle moved down the staircase facing him. Raising his rifle, the fighter released a single bullet at the victim, who dropped to the surface still.

"How come is this one yet living," one combatant exclaimed. "Kill this person."

Orbital photography taken on late October seemed to verify that killings were also carried out on the roads of el-Fasher, according to a report issued by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.

A key eyewitness who communicated said they had observed "numerous of our relatives being executed - these individuals were assembled in a specific area and all eliminated."

Militia Officers Try to Conduct Public Relations

In the days that followed the massacre, paramilitary chief admitted that his troops had perpetrated "atrocities" and said the events would be looked into.

Among those arrested was following a investigation recording his killings. Meticulously staged and edited recording shared on the militia's formal social media channel reveal the individual being taken into a detention area at a detention facility on the outskirts of el-Fasher.

Simultaneously, the RSF and connected digital accounts began trying to reframe the story.

Content presenting its combatants distributing aid to civilians were shared by various accounts, while the paramilitary's media office shared several videos allegedly to demonstrate the humane management of government captives.

Regardless of the digital campaign being used by the paramilitary, their conduct in the city have generated international anger.