Our Purpose Consists of Solely Killing' - How Sudan's Vicious Militia Perpetrated a Massacre
Alert: This Account Contains Disturbing Accounts of Killings.
Militiamen chuckle as they travel on the rear of a utility vehicle, racing past a row of multiple dead bodies and driving towards the descending Sudanese sun.
"Observe all this work. Observe this instance of ethnic cleansing," a combatant shouts.
The fighter beams as he points the recording device on his person and his associate fighters, their RSF insignia clearly shown: "These people will all be killed like this."
These individuals are celebrating a massacre that aid workers believe killed in excess of 2,000 people in the African city of el-Fasher during October.
A City Isolated from the World
Following their control of the urban area under encirclement for almost two years, from the summer the RSF advanced to strengthen its control and restrict the surviving residents.
Satellite images reveal that fighters began to erect a enormous berm - a built-up earthen wall - encircling the boundaries of al-Fashir, sealing off roads and preventing relief supplies.
As the siege escalated, 78 people were murdered in an RSF assault on a place of worship on September 19th, while the UN stated 53 additional were murdered in unmanned aircraft and heavy weapon attacks on a refugee settlement in October.
Explicit Video Reveals Defenseless Civilians Gunned Down
By sunrise on 26 October the militia defeated the last army strongholds and captured the central base in the community, the command center of the Military Unit, as the government forces retreated.
Among the most horrific footage to appear and analysed depicted the results of a atrocity at a campus structure on the western side of the city, where numerous dead bodies were observed strewn over the area.
An older person dressed in a traditional garment was seated by himself amongst the corpses. The individual turned to look as a militiaman carrying with a rifle walked down the stairs towards him. pointing his firearm, the fighter discharged a single round at the individual, who fell to the floor still.
"Why is this individual still living," a combatant exclaimed. "Kill this person."
Satellite images captured on 26 October seemed to substantiate that executions were furthermore conducted on the roads of al-Fashir, according to a analysis issued by the academic research center.
An eyewitness who provided testimony reported they had observed "many of our family members being massacred - the victims were assembled in a specific area and each one murdered."
Paramilitary Leaders Attempt to Conduct Public Relations
In the days that came after the killings, militia chief conceded that his fighters had committed "wrongdoings" and stated the incidents would be examined.
Part of the arrested was following a investigation recording his murders. Carefully orchestrated and produced video shared on the paramilitary's authorized Telegram account show him being escorted into a detention area at a jail on the perimeter of the city.
At the same time, the militia and associated online accounts began trying to reshape the account.
Posts depicting its combatants distributing aid to inhabitants were disseminated by several accounts, while the force's public relations unit shared numerous videos claiming to show the compassionate handling of government prisoners of war.
Regardless of the online effort being employed by the militia, their conduct in al-Fashir have provoked international condemnation.