Yale Researcher: RSF Digging Mass Graves in Sudan’s el-Fasher to 'Clean Up the Massacre'

Yale researcher says RSF digging mass graves in el-Fasher after takeover

Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health, told Al Jazeera that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have "begun to dig mass graves and to collect bodies throughout the city" of el-Fasher in North Darfur.

"They are cleaning up the massacre," Raymond said.

The RSF seized control of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, on October 26 after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) withdrew. The SAF and RSF have been fighting for control of Sudan since April 2023.

According to United Nations estimates, more than 70,000 people have fled el-Fasher and surrounding areas since the RSF takeover, and UN officials say thousands more may remain trapped inside the city. Witnesses and human rights organizations have reported cases of summary executions, sexual violence and mass killings.

A report published on October 28 by Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab documented evidence consistent with "mass killings" following the takeover, noting apparent pools of blood visible in satellite imagery and on-the-ground indicators of mass casualties.

Jacqueline Wilma Parlevliet, a senior UNHCR official in Sudan, warned that continued insecurity is blocking access and preventing delivery of life-saving assistance to those inside el-Fasher without food, water or medical care.

Sudanese journalist Abdallah Hussain told Al Jazeera from Khartoum that el-Fasher had already endured an 18-month siege by the RSF before the group's full takeover, during which humanitarian access and functioning health services were severely restricted.

"No aid was allowed to access the city, and no healthcare facilities [were] operating," Hussain said. "Now it's getting even worse for the citizens who remain trapped."

Amid international condemnation, the RSF and allied supporters have sought to downplay the reports and have pointed fingers at other armed groups. The RSF leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), has pledged an investigation.

Raymond and other experts, however, say a credible probe requires unfettered access: the RSF should withdraw from the city and permit UN personnel, the International Committee of the Red Cross and independent humanitarian investigators to enter and conduct house-to-house assessments.

"At this point, we can't let the RSF investigate themselves," Raymond said.

Raymond also warned that, based on UN figures and visible evidence on the ground, the death toll in el-Fasher over a short period may be staggeringly high. He compared the scale of killings in the city to other recent conflicts to underscore the urgency for independent investigation and emergency assistance.

For context, some reports cited in coverage compare the scale of recent deaths in el-Fasher to casualty figures from other conflicts; independent verification remains essential. Separately, more than 68,000 Palestinians have been reported killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to widely cited figures used in media reporting to provide context for comparisons.

Humanitarian needs: International agencies say immediate priorities are securing access, protecting civilians, treating the injured, and evacuating trapped populations where possible. Without safe access for independent investigators and aid agencies, verifying allegations and delivering assistance will remain extremely difficult.