In a chilling revelation that underscores the deepening humanitarian crisis in Sudan, experts and eyewitnesses report that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are digging mass graves in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, to conceal evidence of a massacre. The allegations, described by a conflict analyst as an attempt to “clean up” atrocities, have sent shockwaves through the international community, raising urgent questions about accountability and the escalating violence in the region.
El-Fasher: A City Under Siege
El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur not under RSF control, has become the epicenter of Sudan’s brutal civil war. For months, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF—a paramilitary group accused of genocide in the early 2000s—have clashed violently, displacing thousands and trapping civilians in a relentless cycle of terror. Recent reports of mass graves suggest a grim escalation in tactics, mirroring the RSF’s alleged war crimes during the Darfur genocide two decades ago.
Satellite imagery and local sources confirm RSF fighters excavating large trenches on el-Fasher’s outskirts. “This is a deliberate effort to hide the scale of the killings,” said Dr. Hawa Mohamed, a Sudan researcher at the Africa Conflict Monitor. “The RSF is erasing evidence before investigators can document it.”
Eyewitnesses: ‘Bodies Disappeared Overnight’
Residents who fled describe horrific scenes. “They rounded up young men, accused them of supporting the army, and shot them in the streets,” said Ahmed Ibrahim, a teacher who escaped to Chad. “The next day, the bodies were gone—likely dumped in pits outside the city.”*
Displaced families in refugee camps report similar atrocities, with the RSF allegedly targeting ethnic Masalit and other non-Arab communities—a grim echo of the 2003–2005 Darfur genocide. The UN has documented 14 mass graves in Darfur since the war began in April 2023, but experts fear the true count is far higher.
Global Inaction: Will the World Respond?
Despite condemnation, international intervention remains weak. The UN Security Council called for a ceasefire but lacks enforcement power. The ICC, which previously indicted RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), has yet to investigate these new crimes.
“Sudan is slipping into an abyss,” warned Clementine Nkweta-Salami, a senior UN official. “Without action, we risk another genocide like Rwanda.”
What’s Next for Sudan?
With the RSF advancing and el-Fasher under siege, civilians face starvation, shelling, and mass disappearances. As digging continues, the world’s silence raises a harrowing question: Will justice come before the graves are filled?
Name changed for safety.
