A brutal humanitarian catastrophe is deepening in Sudan, particularly in El-Fasher in North Darfur, where mass killings reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces have produced scenes so grave that bodies and bloodstains are visible in satellite imagery. This crisis forms part of one of the world’s largest humanitarian disasters, affecting tens of millions and unfolding largely outside global public attention.
Recent high-resolution satellite images show reddish ground discolouration consistent with blood, along with shapes resembling human bodies. These images, taken after the RSF seized El-Fasher on October 27, align with reports of civilians being executed while attempting to flee. Analysts have noted vehicles in strategic positions blocking roads in a neighbourhood where residents had sought shelter. The proximity of these body clusters to a city's defensive berm matches eyewitness accounts of mass killings during attempts to escape.
El-Fasher’s fall marks a major point in Sudan’s civil war, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. The RSF captured key military installations, with satellite analysis confirming tank positions and evidence of heavy bombardment. Civilian flight intensified immediately after the assault, with thousands escaping despite documented risks of detainment and execution.
The RSF has roots in the Janjaweed militias that perpetrated atrocities in Darfur in the early 2000s. Their legacy includes rape, mass murder, and the systematic targeting of non-Arab communities such as the Massalit and Fur. Today, the RSF operates with modern equipment and maintains influence through control of Sudan’s lucrative gold mines, smuggling resources to finance drones and weapons. Multiple international observers and analysts have described current events as ethnic cleansing or genocide.
Human impacts are severe across Sudan. More than 12 million people are displaced, with 26,000 pushed out of El-Fasher alone in recent days. Nearly 25 million people face severe hunger. The United Nations has labelled the scale of instability and deprivation as unprecedented. Despite this, global attention and mobilisation remain limited, leading to pointed criticism from analysts who warn that Sudan is drifting toward partition and deeper conflict while the world looks elsewhere.
