Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab has released alarming evidence of mass killings in Sudan, specifically targeting civilians following the capture of El-Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The lab’s comprehensive analysis of satellite and open-source data indicates that violence has escalated dramatically in civilian neighborhoods, hospitals, and areas near the city borders as residents attempt to flee.
According to Nathaniel Raymond, the lab’s executive director, initial reports suggested that approximately 1,200 individuals had been killed. By the evening of that same day, this figure had reportedly risen to 10,000. Contact with local sources has since ceased, leading to fears that those on the ground may have perished.
The lab first raised alarms about potential violence in El-Fasher back in July 2023. Since then, it has alerted the United Nations Security Council six times and provided detailed warnings to various U.S. governmental bodies, including the National Security Council and the State Department. Over the past two and a half years, it has produced more than 60 reports on the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
In its latest report, the lab documented RSF forces conducting house-to-house clearance operations in the Daraja Oula neighborhood of El-Fasher. Image analyses revealed RSF vehicles, some armed, obstructing side streets. Disturbingly, the analysis also identified objects resembling human bodies and areas of reddish discoloration on the ground, suggesting executions of fleeing individuals.
Raymond likened the current violence to the atrocities witnessed during the Rwandan genocide. “The velocity and ferocity of the RSF killing civilians since Sunday is unlike anything I’ve seen in 26 years of doing this work,” he stated, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
The situation in El-Fasher, once the last stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Darfur, deteriorated dramatically after enduring an 18-month siege. A recent United Nations report noted that the RSF has now taken control of the city.
Further analysis from the lab has uncovered systematic mass killings at various medical facilities, including a maternity hospital that was the last operational hospital in the city. Satellite imagery revealed lines of dark-colored objects consistent with deceased individuals within the children’s hospital compound. Disturbing videos shared by RSF soldiers themselves also captured the execution of civilians within hospital premises.
The conflict in Sudan, ignited in April 2023, has resulted in over 150,000 civilian deaths and displaced approximately 14 million people, as reported by the BBC. The primary struggle is between the RSF and the SAF, with the RSF being led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and receiving financial support from the United Arab Emirates. This paramilitary group has roots in the Janjaweed militia, infamous for its role in the Darfur genocide in 2003.
Alden Young, an associate professor of history and global affairs, noted that the forces mobilized in the conflict aim to settle scores and may be pursuing an ethnic cleansing agenda in northern Darfur. The RSF’s actions reflect patterns of violence similar to those seen in previous conflicts in the region, according to experts.
Raymond criticized the international community for its inaction, asserting that nations like the United States and the United Kingdom have prioritized their economic interests with the UAE over the lives of Sudanese civilians. He urged for a more robust international response, including potential drone surveillance over El-Fasher to document war crimes.
“The survival of these people, their lives, matter less than our economic and security relationships with the UAE,” Raymond remarked, highlighting a stark moral dilemma in international relations.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Raymond noted a lack of significant activism among students at Yale University. He called for a resurgence of student engagement reminiscent of the Save Darfur movement, which mobilized widespread bipartisan support across U.S. campuses two decades ago.
“I don’t think Yale students know how powerful they are. They’re very powerful, if they choose to be,” he concluded, emphasizing the potential for collective action to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
The Humanitarian Research Lab, a part of the Yale School of Public Health, remains committed to documenting the ongoing violence and advocating for the vulnerable populations affected by this devastating conflict.
