In the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, a nightmare scenario has unfolded as paramilitary forces, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have taken control. Video journalist and human rights activist Mohammed Zakaria had feared this moment, and it's now playing out before his eyes. Footage posted on social media by RSF soldiers shows bodies of three uncles, among them, in a chilling scene that could be described as a nightmare come true.
As the city fell, Zakaria discovered more disturbing footage showing RSF fighters celebrating while standing over dead bodies, with one uncle's Facebook profile picture changed to an image of an RSF fighter. He is worried sick about another relative, whose possible fate remains unknown. The RSF's capture of el-Fasher marks a significant turning point in Sudan's civil war, giving the paramilitary control over all five state capitals in Darfur.
The city endured one of the longest urban sieges this century and has been described as a massacre on an unprecedented scale by international observers. Satellite imagery and social media footage have pointed to mass atrocities, reportedly along ethnic lines, with estimates suggesting that 260,000 civilians were trapped in the city when it fell, half of them children.
The Sudan Doctors Network reported a "heinous massacre" in el-Fasher, while the Joint Forces coalition of armed groups said 2,000 people had been executed. However, activists and monitors believe the figure is likely much higher. Satellite imagery from Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab has revealed evidence consistent with mass killings, including pools of blood and clusters of corpses.
Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the lab, compared the killings to Rwanda-style killings in which hundreds of thousands were killed in weeks. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, had warned of large-scale, ethnically driven attacks and atrocities as early as October 2.
The voyeuristic nature of videos recorded by RSF fighters is considered one of the most disturbing elements of the violence. Zakaria has found it heartbreaking to see videos on social media showing his friends and relatives being targeted and killed. He continues searching for information about dozens of people he knows who remain unaccounted for in el-Fasher.
As the situation unfolds, Zakaria remains a voice for those affected by the violence. His fear that "the time has passed for actions" is echoed by many as the international community watches the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
As the city fell, Zakaria discovered more disturbing footage showing RSF fighters celebrating while standing over dead bodies, with one uncle's Facebook profile picture changed to an image of an RSF fighter. He is worried sick about another relative, whose possible fate remains unknown. The RSF's capture of el-Fasher marks a significant turning point in Sudan's civil war, giving the paramilitary control over all five state capitals in Darfur.
The city endured one of the longest urban sieges this century and has been described as a massacre on an unprecedented scale by international observers. Satellite imagery and social media footage have pointed to mass atrocities, reportedly along ethnic lines, with estimates suggesting that 260,000 civilians were trapped in the city when it fell, half of them children.
The Sudan Doctors Network reported a "heinous massacre" in el-Fasher, while the Joint Forces coalition of armed groups said 2,000 people had been executed. However, activists and monitors believe the figure is likely much higher. Satellite imagery from Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab has revealed evidence consistent with mass killings, including pools of blood and clusters of corpses.
Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the lab, compared the killings to Rwanda-style killings in which hundreds of thousands were killed in weeks. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, had warned of large-scale, ethnically driven attacks and atrocities as early as October 2.
The voyeuristic nature of videos recorded by RSF fighters is considered one of the most disturbing elements of the violence. Zakaria has found it heartbreaking to see videos on social media showing his friends and relatives being targeted and killed. He continues searching for information about dozens of people he knows who remain unaccounted for in el-Fasher.
As the situation unfolds, Zakaria remains a voice for those affected by the violence. His fear that "the time has passed for actions" is echoed by many as the international community watches the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
the footage of rsf soldiers celebrating over dead bodies is just, like, whoa 
i'm watching a video of my friend's uncles' funeral on my school break and now i see vids of ppl being killed in el-fasher? it's all so surreal... what's happening in sudan right now is literally a nightmare come true 
i don't know how mohammed zakaria is coping with this, searching for his loved ones who are still missing... the thought of 260k civilians trapped in the city and half of them being kids is just heartbreaking 
. And what's with the Facebook profile picture change? It's like they're gloating about it or something 
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It's like we're being treated to a twisted reality show instead of actual human suffering.
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. We can't just sit back and watch while innocent lives are lost. The world needs to take action NOW 
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. The footage of people celebrating over dead bodies is just... no words 
. We need to get our act together and do something about this ASAP 
. Can we please just call out the international community on this one? We can't just sit back and watch as people are slaughtered in their own cities 
. This is getting eerily familiar, like we're reliving some kind of war crimes nightmare 
. anyone else just want to fast forward to the part where we all get to go back to our daily lives and forget about this?
,RSF taking control of el-Fasher? sounds like a normal military op to me 
,people actin' all emotional & outraged 4 nothin', news cycle just tryna make it bigger 
,at least 260k people trapped in the city, thats a big number, but u dont no wut happened 2 them yet 
,united nations doin thier job,monitorin & reportin atrocities,that's all we can expect 
I mean, what's new in el-Fasher? Paramilitary forces just showing up and taking over... yeah, no big deal. And of course, they're sharing all these "cheerful" videos on social media, because who needs a filter when you can just show off your human rights abuses? 
And poor Mohammed Zakaria, always so optimistic about the state of humanity. I'm sure it's not just the fact that he's got friends and relatives getting killed that's weighing heavily on him... 
my heart goes out to mohammed zakaria and his family 
... we need to be paying attention to this crisis and making sure the world is holding those responsible accountable 
he's a brave human rights activist who's not afraid to speak truth to power 
please, let's get more attention on this crisis so we can raise awareness and maybe help those affected 
. what's happening in sudan is like a whole different level of humanitarian crisis. i feel like we're just watching from our screens, but someone has to speak up for these people 
. He sounds like he's going through some serious emotional distress, and I don't blame him one bit 
. I mean, we need to do better than just condemn these actions from afar. We need to take action, not just with our words but with our wallets too 
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... i can only imagine how worried mohammed zakaria must be about his relatives, it's like they're living in a nightmare over there 
... and to think that 260k civilians were trapped in el-fasher when it fell is just numbers for victims 
260k civilians trapped in one city during an urban siege? it's like a bad scene from a movie, but this is real life. we need to do more to help those affected and hold these forces accountable 
260k civilians trapped in the city, half of them kids... it's like we're watching a horror movie unfold on our screens