A Sudanese medical organization has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of attempting to conceal mass killings in Darfur by burning bodies and burying them in mass graves. The allegations highlight ongoing atrocities in the region following the RSF’s violent takeover of el-Fasher on October 26.

The Sudan Doctors Network reported that paramilitaries are collecting hundreds of bodies from city streets in el-Fasher. The group condemned the RSF’s actions, stating that attempts to erase evidence through burning or mass burials cannot hide the scale of their crimes.

“What happened in el-Fasher is not an isolated incident but rather another chapter in a full-fledged genocide carried out by the RSF, blatantly violating all international and religious norms that guarantee the dead a dignified burial,” the organization said.

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Massive Displacement and Humanitarian Crisis

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that roughly 82,000 of el-Fasher’s 260,000 residents fled following the RSF’s capture of the last military stronghold in Darfur. Civilians have reported mass killings, rape, and torture, while thousands remain trapped in the city under dire conditions.

Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, described the plight of civilians fleeing to Al Dabbah in northern Sudan. Many reportedly died during the journey due to lack of food, water, or injuries sustained from gunfire.

Escapees told reporters that they learned of family deaths through social media videos posted by RSF fighters, which depict extreme acts of violence.

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Targeted Ethnic Killings

With a communications blackout in el-Fasher, many displaced residents have no information about the fate of their relatives. Civilians fear that those remaining face starvation, dehydration, or ethnically targeted violence.

The RSF traces its origins to the Janjaweed militia, responsible for genocide in Darfur between 2003 and 2008. During that period, an estimated 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million displaced in campaigns of ethnic violence.

Sylvain Penicaud of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that many fleeing residents were targeted based on skin color, particularly Black civilians, and faced attacks while trying to escape.

“For me, the most terrifying part was civilians being hunted down while running for their lives; being attacked simply for being Black,” Penicaud said.

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Ethnic Dynamics in Darfur

The Zaghawa, the dominant ethnic group in el-Fasher, initially remained neutral but later aligned with the Sudanese army after the RSF massacred members of the Masalit tribe in West Darfur’s capital, el-Geneina, reportedly killing up to 15,000 people.

Residents, including university student Hassan Osman, described systematic racial targeting:

“Residents with darker skin, especially Zaghawa civilians, were subjected to racial insults, humiliation, degradation, and physical and psychological violence. If your skin is light, you might be spared—it’s purely ethnic,” Osman said.

The ongoing conflict underscores the humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur, where civilians continue to face targeted killings, ethnic persecution, and mass displacement.