Sudan's RSF Allegedly Engaged in Cover-Up of Mass Killings in El-Fasher

Wed Dec 17 2025 00:42:53 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Research from Yale University reveals Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) may be actively concealing evidence of mass killings in El-Fasher by disposing of bodies. The report highlights ongoing atrocities amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Sudan's paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is accused of covering up mass killings in El-Fasher by burying and burning corpses to erase evidence, as detailed in a Yale University report. This comes after the RSF captured the city, raising international criticisms regarding human rights violations. Satellite image analysis suggests a systematic approach to body disposal, highlighting the extent of violence in the ongoing civil conflict in the country.

The RSF has been under fire for its actions in El-Fasher, a strategic victory for the paramilitary group amidst a power struggle resulting in an ongoing civil war. According to researchers from Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), they're alleged to have disposed of tens of thousands of bodies in a systematic cover-up to erase their traces of ongoing violence.

The RSF's hold over El-Fasher follows widespread international condemnation for reported executions and crimes against humanity since its takeover in October. Yale's report cites that the RSF is engaged in a multi-week campaign to destroy evidence of mass killings, with satellite imagery revealing changes in the landscape indicative of body disposal.

While RSF's leader has acknowledged some wrongdoings, there remains a denial concerning allegations of ethnic motivations behind the violence. The UN characterizes this conflict as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, with estimates of over 250,000 people still trapped in the city as violence continues.

Evidence suggests that the RSF has been killing people attempting to flee, as marked by numerous clusters indicating ongoing violence even after El-Fasher fell to the group. This situation reflects a grim chapter in Sudan's turbulent timeline, with continued fighting and inadequate humanitarian responses compounding the region's crises.