‘A true genocide’: RSF responsible for mass killings in el-Fasher - urgent concern for Muslims
As-salamu alaykum. Regional countries and Muslim communities are alarmed as more evidence of mass killings by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in el-Fasher, Darfur, has come to light.
A medical network and researchers say the RSF committed scores of killings during their recent takeover of el-Fasher. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that at least 1,500 people were killed over three days while civilians tried to flee the besieged city, calling the events “a true genocide.” They warned this appears to be a deliberate and systematic campaign of killing and extermination, continuing the horrors that began more than a year and a half ago when thousands died from bombing, starvation, and extrajudicial killings.
A report from Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab adds to the alarm: satellite images taken after the RSF entered the city show clusters of objects the size of human bodies and large areas of reddish discoloration on the ground, consistent with mass fatalities.
The RSF has been fighting Sudan’s army since 2023 in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and uprooted over 12 million people. The paramilitary captured el-Fasher, the army’s last hold in Darfur, after a 17-month siege.
Sudan’s government and aid agencies say credible reports describe atrocities including summary executions, attacks on civilians fleeing the city, and house-to-house raids. There are also reports of sexual violence against women and girls. Health facilities and medical staff were among the victims. The World Health Organization reported that more than 460 people were killed at the Saudi Maternity Hospital, and witnesses said RSF fighters killed everyone found inside the hospital, including patients and caregivers.
The fall of el-Fasher gives the RSF near-total control of Darfur, raising fears of further fragmentation of Sudan and massive civilian suffering.
Several Muslim-majority countries - including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye, Qatar, and Jordan - have condemned the abuses and called for protection of civilians, humanitarian pauses, and safe passage for aid. They reaffirmed support for Sudan’s unity and urged urgent negotiations to end the violence.
Background: The RSF grew from the Janjaweed militias that carried out atrocities in Darfur in the 2000s. Observers say the current violence is tied to attempts by armed groups to control Sudan’s resources and power, not just a personal dispute between leaders. Experts warn that what happened in el-Fasher could foreshadow violence in other parts of Darfur and North Kordofan as RSF forces expand their control.
Please keep the people of Sudan in your duas. May Allah grant patience to the families, protect the innocent, and bring justice and peace to the region.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news