Our Purpose Consists of Only Executing' - How Sudan's Vicious Paramilitary Group Conducted a Mass Killing

Fighters laugh as they move on the rear of a utility vehicle, speeding past a series of multiple corpses and moving in the direction of the sinking Sudan's evening sky.

"Observe all this work. Look at this act of mass destruction," one cheers.

He grins as he directs the video equipment on himself and his associate militiamen, their RSF insignia on display: "These people shall all be killed like this."

The men are exulting in a mass killing that humanitarian officials fear resulted in the deaths of in excess of 2,000 civilians in the Sudan's urban center of the Darfur city last month.

A City Severed from the Globe

After maintaining the urban area under siege for nearly two years, from August the militia proceeded to consolidate its dominance and restrict the remaining civilian population.

Satellite images show that forces started to construct a immense berm - a raised dirt embankment - encircling the boundaries of al-Fashir, closing access routes and blocking humanitarian assistance.

As the siege escalated, 78 people were slain in an RSF assault on a mosque on 19 September, while the UN stated dozens more were murdered in drone and artillery attacks on a makeshift community in fall.

Explicit Recording Shows Unarmed Civilians Gunned Down

At dawn on late October the militia overwhelmed the remaining military positions and seized the main base in the city, the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division, as the military pulled back.

Among the most horrific recordings to appear and analysed depicted the consequences of a mass killing at a educational facility on the west of the urban area, where numerous dead bodies were observed spread across the floor.

An elderly man clad in a robe remained isolated amongst the bodies. He rotated to gaze as a combatant armed with a rifle proceeded down the stairs towards the victim. lifting his firearm, the fighter released a single shot at the victim, who fell to the ground motionless.

"For what reason is this one even living," another combatant cried. "Execute this person."

Space-based imagery taken on October 26th appeared to substantiate that executions were additionally performed on the thoroughfares of al-Fashir, based on a report issued by the academic research center.

A key witness who provided testimony said they had witnessed "many of our relatives getting killed - they were gathered in one place and everyone murdered."

RSF Commanders Seek to Carry Out Damage Control

In the days that ensued from the massacre, RSF commander acknowledged that his fighters had committed "violations" and announced the occurrences would be looked into.

Part of the detained was after a investigation recording his killings. Carefully orchestrated and modified recording shared on the paramilitary's official social media platform reveal the commander being escorted into a detention area at a detention facility on the edges of the city.

At the same time, the RSF and affiliated online profiles commenced seeking to reframe the account.

Content presenting its combatants handing out supplies to civilians were shared by some users, while the militia's communications team released multiple videos allegedly to show the compassionate handling of army prisoners of war.

Despite the online campaign being used by the militia, their actions in el-Fasher have provoked global anger.