🔗 Share this article

Militiamen chuckle as they ride on the rear of a pick-up truck, hurrying alongside a line of nine corpses and moving in the direction of the sinking African sun.

"Look at all this effort. Look at this instance of ethnic cleansing," a combatant shouts.

The fighter grins as he turns the camera on his person and his associate fighters, their paramilitary insignia visible: "These people shall all perish in this manner."

These individuals are celebrating a mass killing that humanitarian officials fear killed more than 2,000 civilians in the Sudan's metropolis of al-Fashir in recent weeks.

A City Cut Off from the World

Following their control of the city under siege for almost an extended period, from the summer the RSF proceeded to reinforce its position and prevent access for the remaining residents.

Satellite images demonstrate that fighters commenced to construct a massive berm - a elevated sand barrier - around the edges of al-Fashir, closing entry points and preventing aid.

During the encirclement worsened, seventy-eight civilians were murdered in an paramilitary assault on a place of worship on 19 September, while the UN said dozens more were slain in drone and artillery bombardments on a displacement camp in the autumn.

Graphic Footage Depicts Weaponless Civilians Shot

By sunrise on late October the militia conquered the last government strongholds and seized the central base in the city, the main facility of the Army Division, as the government forces pulled back.

One of the most disturbing videos to appear and examined depicted the aftermath of a atrocity at a campus structure on the west of the community, where scores dead bodies were observed strewn across the ground.

An elderly man dressed in a traditional garment remained isolated amongst the corpses. He rotated to gaze as a militiaman equipped with a rifle moved descending the steps towards the victim. Raising his rifle, the gunman released a one round at the man, who fell to the ground motionless.

"For what reason is this person yet breathing," another fighter exclaimed. "Execute this one."

Orbital photography recorded on late October appeared to substantiate that executions were also carried out on the thoroughfares of al-Fashir, as reported by a report published by the university analysis team.

A key eyewitness who provided testimony stated they had observed "many of our kin being executed - these individuals were assembled in one place and everyone killed."

Militia Officers Seek to Implement Damage Control

In the days that ensued from the massacre, paramilitary leader admitted that his forces had carried out "violations" and stated the occurrences would be investigated.

Among those apprehended was following a investigation documenting his murders. Meticulously choreographed and edited footage published on the RSF's official messaging platform show the commander being escorted into a cell at a jail on the perimeter of el-Fasher.

At the same time, the paramilitary force and affiliated digital profiles commenced trying to alter the account.

Content presenting its militiamen distributing aid to residents were circulated by various individuals, while the force's public relations unit published numerous recordings allegedly to demonstrate the humane handling of government prisoners of war.

In spite of the online initiative being used by the RSF, their actions in al-Fashir have sparked global outrage.