'Civilians forced to dig their own graves': Sudan Doctors Syndicate details horrific war crimes in El-Fasher

The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate on Wednesday condemned the “horrific massacre and total humanitarian collapse” in the city of El Fasher in the Darfur region of western Sudan after it was captured by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia on Monday.

The syndicate said that what happened constitutes “genocide, systematic ethnic cleansing, and fully-fledged war crimes” that add to the militia’s bloody record in the region.

This came as RSF leader Mohammed Ibrahim Daglo, also known as Hemedti, acknowledged “violations” in El-Fasher and promised an “investigation”.

According to preliminary estimates, more than 2,000 civilians were killed within the first few hours of the militia’s entry into El Fasher. Civilians were summarily executed, some burned alive inside their homes or vehicles.

More than 177,000 civilians remain trapped amid fears that they could also be subjected to violence and execution. About 28,000 people were displaced within just 48 hours, while attacks on escape routes continued, preventing civilians from reaching safe areas

In a statement, the syndicate said that “the RSF militia committed on Tuesday evening a horrific massacre against unarmed civilians based on ethnic grounds,” adding that its field teams “indicate that the number of victims is estimated to be in the thousands, amid a communications blackout and a complete breakdown of security.”

Elderly patients killed in hospitals

The statement noted that “the RSF did not stop at taking lives but also targeted health facilities and hospitals - looting and completely destroying them, leading to the annihilation of what remained of the healthcare system.”

The syndicate documented the execution of more than 450 patients and wounded individuals inside the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher, in addition to the killing of about 1,200 elderly people and injured civilians inside field medical facilities.

It also confirmed the killing of five volunteers from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society in the city of Bara in North Kordofan, along with medical staff who had been working at the Saudi Hospital, warning that “the healthcare sector in Darfur is now effectively in total collapse.”

The syndicate’s statement described widespread violations in El Fasher, including “summary executions, home invasions, and sexual violence,” in addition to forcing victims to “dig their own graves and bury themselves alive.” It called these acts “a new chapter in the ongoing ethnic cleansing targeting specific social groups.”

The syndicate urged the international community and humanitarian organizations to “assume their moral and legal responsibilities toward the Sudanese people, send urgent investigative missions to protect civilians, and document the crimes.” It emphasized the need to “expose what is happening in Darfur to the world” and to ensure that perpetrators do not escape accountability.

RSF promise ‘investigation’

The horrific massacres follow the RSF’s seizure of El Fasher last Sunday, after months of siege, which gave the militia full control over the vast Darfur region that covers about one-third of Sudan’s area.

The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and thought to be backed by the UAE, has been waging war against the army since April 15, 2023, resulting, according to UN and local reports, in about 20,000 deaths and more than 15 million displaced persons and refugees, while a US study previously estimated the death toll at around 130,000.

“I have seen that violations that took place in El Fasher, and from here I announce the formation of investigation committees. Not only that — the investigation committees have already arrived in El Fasher,” Daglo said in a video message on Wednesday, following worldwide outrage.

International organizations and experts warn that what is happening in Darfur could revive the massacres the region witnessed in the early 2000s, amid growing fears of Sudan’s division and a new wave of ethnic cleansing, in the absence of any political solution and the continuation of systematic violence against civilians.