Khartoum: New evidence from satellite images and eyewitness reports shows the devastating scale of violence and suffering in Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions, where fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to destroy lives and communities.
According to the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab, recent satellite pictures from El Fasher in North Darfur reveal large areas where trenches have been dug and later covered, indicating possible mass burials. The images also show burnt vehicles, damaged buildings, and what appear to be bodies near a former children’s hospital and a mosque.
The RSF, which now controls El Fasher after months of siege, denies responsibility for the killings. However, aid groups and human rights monitors have accused the group of carrying out widespread attacks against civilians, including house-to-house raids and executions. Reports from witnesses suggest that thousands of people, including women and children, were killed during the city’s fall.
The humanitarian situation in the region is rapidly worsening. Aid agencies warn that famine conditions are already present in parts of Darfur and neighboring Kordofan, where food supplies have collapsed and medical facilities have been destroyed or abandoned. The International Classification for Food Security (IPC) has declared famine in El Fasher and in parts of South Kordofan.
Fighting has also spread to North Kordofan, where a recent drone strike on a funeral near El Obeid killed more than 40 people. The attack has heightened fears that the war is expanding into new areas. Analysts believe that both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are now competing for control of key regions rich in natural resources and vital trade routes.
International organizations, including Amnesty International and the United Nations, have called for an immediate end to the violence and protection for civilians. They warn that the situation in Darfur and Kordofan could become one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters if the fighting continues unchecked.
Foreign involvement in the conflict has also drawn attention. The United Arab Emirates recently admitted mistakes in its Sudan policy following reports of arms shipments that may have reached RSF forces. Several international bodies are now calling for independent investigations into alleged war crimes and for greater accountability from countries supplying weapons to either side.
More than 14 million people have been displaced since the war began in April 2023, with over 24 million now in need of urgent humanitarian aid. Entire communities have been uprooted, and communication blackouts have made it difficult to verify the full extent of atrocities.
Observers say the capture of El Fasher marks a major turning point, giving the RSF control over all five regional capitals in Darfur. As the conflict moves into Kordofan, fears are growing that Sudan is on the verge of a total collapse. Human rights groups continue to urge the international community to act quickly to stop further massacres and ensure that those responsible for mass killings are held accountable.