Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of executions. Fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have executed a number of unarmed people after capturing the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, new videos analyzed by BBC Verify show. The RSF, engaged in a brutal war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for over two years, seized a crucial military base in the city following a protracted siege.
Several disturbing videos have surfaced showing RSF fighters committing extreme acts of violence in and around el-Fasher, with credible reports of summary executions reported by the UN's Sudan coordinator during a recent BBC interview. BBC Verify reached out to the RSF for comments, with an adviser denying that the fighters were targeting civilians.
Sudan has been embroiled in conflict since 2023, leading to over 150,000 deaths and approximately 12 million people being forced from their homes. Denise Brown, the UN's Sudan coordinator, confirmed reports of executions, particularly of unarmed men, following the RSF's entry into the city. Such acts constitute war crimes under the Geneva Convention.
Clips reviewed by BBC Verify often show individuals in ambiguous, dusty locations, complicating geolocation efforts; however, one specific video displaying an unarmed man surrounded by dead bodies has been geolocated to a university in el-Fasher. Another clip features a noted RSF fighter, Abu Lulu, berating a captive before executing him, drawing numerous accusations of heinous conduct attributed to him during the ongoing conflict.
As the RSF continues to face severe scrutiny over its actions in the region, the gravity of human rights violations raises alarming questions about accountability and the shifting dynamics within Sudan's troubled political landscape.
Several disturbing videos have surfaced showing RSF fighters committing extreme acts of violence in and around el-Fasher, with credible reports of summary executions reported by the UN's Sudan coordinator during a recent BBC interview. BBC Verify reached out to the RSF for comments, with an adviser denying that the fighters were targeting civilians.
Sudan has been embroiled in conflict since 2023, leading to over 150,000 deaths and approximately 12 million people being forced from their homes. Denise Brown, the UN's Sudan coordinator, confirmed reports of executions, particularly of unarmed men, following the RSF's entry into the city. Such acts constitute war crimes under the Geneva Convention.
Clips reviewed by BBC Verify often show individuals in ambiguous, dusty locations, complicating geolocation efforts; however, one specific video displaying an unarmed man surrounded by dead bodies has been geolocated to a university in el-Fasher. Another clip features a noted RSF fighter, Abu Lulu, berating a captive before executing him, drawing numerous accusations of heinous conduct attributed to him during the ongoing conflict.
As the RSF continues to face severe scrutiny over its actions in the region, the gravity of human rights violations raises alarming questions about accountability and the shifting dynamics within Sudan's troubled political landscape.
