Our Task Is Only Executing' - How Sudan's Ruthless Fighting Force Carried out a Mass Killing
Warning: This Story Includes Explicit Details of Executions.
Combatants smirk as they move on the bed of a transport truck, hurrying by a row of nine corpses and driving in the direction of the descending African sun.
"Look at this extensive work. Observe this mass destruction," a fighter shouts.
The individual beams as he directs the camera on his person and his fellow combatants, their Rapid Support Forces insignia on display: "The victims shall all die in this manner."
The men are exulting in a massacre that aid workers fear killed more than two thousand people in the African metropolis of the Darfur city during October.
A City Isolated from the Outside
After maintaining the city under blockade for nearly an extended period, from the summer the militia advanced to consolidate its control and prevent access for the leftover residents.
Satellite images demonstrate that forces started to build a enormous berm - a raised dirt embankment - around the boundaries of the city, closing access routes and halting relief supplies.
As the siege worsened, 78 people were killed in an RSF attack on a place of worship on 19 September, while the United Nations reported dozens additional were murdered in aerial and artillery bombardments on a makeshift community in October.
Graphic Video Shows Unarmed Individuals Executed
By sunrise on October 26th the militia defeated the final army positions and seized the primary base in the urban area, the main facility of the Military Unit, as the government forces pulled back.
Among the most graphic recordings to surface and analysed depicted the aftermath of a atrocity at a university building on the western side of the city, where dozens corpses were visible spread over the floor.
An older person wearing a white tunic was seated alone surrounded by the corpses. The individual rotated to look as a combatant armed with a rifle proceeded along the stairs towards the individual. Raising his weapon, the gunman fired a single bullet at the individual, who fell to the surface still.
"Why is this person even alive," another fighter exclaimed. "Shoot this person."
Satellite images captured on 26 October appeared to verify that shootings were additionally carried out on the thoroughfares of al-Fashir, based on a study released by the academic research center.
An eyewitness who provided testimony said he had witnessed "numerous of our relatives being massacred - the victims were gathered in a specific area and each one eliminated."
Militia Leaders Try to Carry Out Damage Control
In the days that ensued from the killings, militia leader admitted that his fighters had perpetrated "atrocities" and stated the occurrences would be examined.
Included among detained was following a investigation recording his murders. Deliberately staged and modified footage shared on the paramilitary's official social media channel reveal him being led into a cell at a prison on the outskirts of the city.
At the same time, the militia and associated online channels commenced attempting to reshape the story.
Posts presenting its fighters distributing assistance to civilians were disseminated by several individuals, while the paramilitary's communications team published numerous clips claiming to show the proper management of government detainees.
Despite the digital initiative being deployed by the RSF, their activities in el-Fasher have provoked international outrage.