Our Task Is Only Eliminating' - The Way The Sudanese Ruthless Fighting Force Perpetrated a Massacre

Warning: This Story Includes Disturbing Descriptions of Killings.

Combatants laugh as they travel on the rear of a pick-up truck, speeding past a row of nine corpses and moving facing the descending Sudan's evening sky.

"Observe all this effort. Observe this act of genocide," a fighter shouts.

He beams as he points the camera on himself and his associate combatants, their RSF identification on display: "These people are all going to perish in this manner."

The men are celebrating a massacre that relief organizations fear resulted in the deaths of more than two thousand people in the Sudan's metropolis of el-Fasher during October.

A City Severed from the World

Following their control of the urban area under encirclement for nearly an extended period, from the summer the RSF proceeded to reinforce its control and restrict the remaining residents.

Orbital photography reveal that forces commenced to build a massive berm - a elevated earthen wall - around the boundaries of the city, closing entry points and preventing relief supplies.

As the siege worsened, 78 civilians were murdered in an militia strike on a mosque on 19 September, while the international organization stated dozens further were murdered in drone and heavy weapon strikes on a refugee settlement in the autumn.

Disturbing Footage Shows Defenseless Civilians Gunned Down

At dawn on 26 October the RSF overwhelmed the last army positions and captured the central headquarters in the community, the command center of the Army Division, as the army withdrew.

Among the most graphic videos to surface and examined depicted the aftermath of a mass killing at a university building on the western of the urban area, where dozens dead bodies were visible spread throughout the floor.

A senior man clad in a robe remained by himself amongst the bodies. The individual rotated to look as a militiaman armed with a rifle walked down the stairs in the direction of the individual. lifting his firearm, the fighter released a single round at the victim, who collapsed to the floor motionless.

"For what reason is this individual even living," one fighter shouted. "Kill him."

Space-based imagery recorded on late October seemed to substantiate that killings were also performed on the streets of al-Fashir, according to a analysis published by the academic research center.

One eyewitness who communicated stated the individual had witnessed "numerous of our relatives being killed - these individuals were gathered in a specific area and everyone killed."

Militia Commanders Try to Conduct Public Relations

In the days that followed the massacre, RSF commander acknowledged that his troops had committed "violations" and said the events would be examined.

Part of the detained was following a investigation documenting his killings. Deliberately orchestrated and modified footage posted on the RSF's authorized Telegram platform reveal the individual being taken into a prison room at a prison on the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, the militia and connected online channels commenced attempting to reframe the narrative.

Updates showing its fighters distributing supplies to inhabitants were shared by several individuals, while the militia's media office published multiple videos purporting to show the compassionate handling of army prisoners of war.

In spite of the social media initiative being used by the militia, their actions in el-Fasher have generated worldwide outrage.

Jessica Roy
Jessica Roy

Mira Chen is a tech journalist and AI researcher with over a decade of experience covering digital transformation and emerging technologies.