Rapid Support Forces Execute Over 2,000 Civilians in Sudan's El Fasher Amid Ethnic Cleansing Allegations

Over 2,000 civilians, mainly women, children, and the elderly, were reportedly executed within 48 hours by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after they seized control of El Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region. The RSF, engaged in conflict with Sudan's military for over two years, gained control of every state capital in Darfur following a brutal siege of El Fasher lasting more than 18 months. Satellite imagery and open-source investigations by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab revealed clusters of bodies and signs of mass killings, including alleged door-to-door clearance operations. Videos authenticated by multiple sources show RSF fighters executing unarmed civilians and committing other brutal acts. Human rights organizations and Sudanese military allies describe these acts as a systematic ethnic cleansing targeting indigenous non-Arab groups such as the Fur, Zaghawa, and Berti communities, raising concerns about potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. The international community, including the European Union and UN rights officials, have expressed deep concern and called for de-escalation amid fears of escalating atrocities.