Our Purpose Is Only Eliminating' - The Way Sudan's Ruthless Fighting Force Perpetrated a Massacre

Alert: This Account Contains Disturbing Details of Shootings.

Militiamen chuckle as they travel on the bed of a transport truck, hurrying alongside a row of nine corpses and moving towards the descending African evening sky.

"See such accomplishment. See this genocide," one shouts.

The fighter smiles as he directs the video equipment on his own face and his fellow fighters, their RSF badges visible: "They will all perish in this manner."

The men are rejoicing over a massacre that relief organizations believe claimed the lives of over 2,000 individuals in the Sudan's city of al-Fashir during October.

A City Isolated from the Globe

After maintaining the city under encirclement for approximately an extended period, from the summer the paramilitary force proceeded to reinforce its control and prevent access for the surviving residents.

Orbital photography reveal that forces began to build a massive sand wall - a raised earthen wall - around the edges of al-Fashir, closing access routes and preventing aid.

As the siege worsened, 78 individuals were killed in an militia strike on a place of worship on mid-September, while the UN said fifty-three more were slain in unmanned aircraft and artillery bombardments on a displacement camp in October.

Graphic Video Depicts Weaponless People Shot

In the early morning on 26 October the paramilitary force defeated the final military positions and took control of the main headquarters in the city, the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division, as the army pulled back.

Perhaps the most disturbing videos to appear and analysed depicted the aftermath of a mass killing at a university building on the west of the city, where numerous dead bodies were seen strewn throughout the ground.

An elderly person clad in a traditional garment remained isolated surrounded by the bodies. The man looked to glance as a combatant armed with a weapon walked descending the staircase in the direction of him. Raising his rifle, the gunman released a solitary round at the individual, who collapsed to the floor still.

"For what reason is this person even living," one fighter exclaimed. "Shoot him."

Satellite images captured on 26 October appeared to verify that executions were additionally performed on the roads of the city, based on a report issued by the academic research center.

One witness who provided testimony stated the individual had seen "multiple of our kin getting executed - these individuals were collected in one place and all killed."

Paramilitary Commanders Try to Implement Public Relations

Following the events that ensued from the massacre, paramilitary chief admitted that his forces had perpetrated "atrocities" and announced the incidents would be investigated.

Part of the arrested was following a investigation recording his murders. Carefully choreographed and produced footage shared on the militia's formal messaging platform reveal the individual being led into a prison room at a prison on the outskirts of el-Fasher.

At the same time, the RSF and affiliated social media profiles began trying to reshape the narrative.

Content presenting its militiamen distributing assistance to residents were circulated by various users, while the paramilitary's public relations unit shared multiple videos purporting to demonstrate the proper treatment of military detainees.

Despite the online campaign being used by the militia, their conduct in el-Fasher have provoked international outrage.

Erica Rice
Erica Rice

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