Mass Graves Discovered in Sudan’s El-Fasher Following RSF Seizure

Satellite imagery analyzed today reveals evidence of mass burials underway in El-Fasher, Sudan’s Darfur region, after the city was taken by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), raising further alarm about the escalating violence in the country.

Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab examined images from Vantor, formerly Maxar Technologies, showing the digging and subsequent covering of potential mass graves at two locations: near a mosque adjacent to the Saudi hospital and by a former children’s hospital reportedly used as a prison by the RSF. While the exact number of bodies cannot be determined from the images, researchers noted that bodies are often layered in mass graves. Additional photos taken by Planet Labs PBC yesterday showed differing soil colors at both sites, consistent with recent excavation and reburial. The discovery underscores the difficulty of documenting atrocities in active conflict zones.

Earlier satellite images revealed what appeared to be corpses and bloodstains around both the Saudi hospital and the children’s hospital immediately following the RSF’s takeover of El-Fasher. The RSF has denied killing anyone at the Saudi hospital, but eyewitness accounts and videos contradict those claims. A separate incident on Monday saw at least 40 people killed and dozens wounded in a drone strike targeting a funeral in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan province, an attack local media attributes to the RSF. The ongoing conflict has created a dire humanitarian crisis, with the World Food Programme reporting widespread famine and severe malnutrition across the country.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has called for “mechanisms of accountability” regarding the events in El-Fasher, stating that “the crimes that are being committed are so horrendous.” The war between the RSF and the Sudanese military, which began in April 2023, has already resulted in over 40,000 confirmed deaths, though aid organizations believe the true toll is significantly higher. Human Rights Watch has documented numerous atrocities committed by both sides of the conflict.

Authorities say investigations will be hampered by the RSF’s control of the area and the ongoing destruction of evidence, but efforts to document and prosecute those responsible for the violence will continue.