Sudan siege: War crimes alert as el-Fasher runs out of food
Key Takeaways
- Satellite imagery analysis by Yale University suggests the RSF is intentionally targeting civilians in besieged el-Fasher, potentially constituting war crimes.
- Evidence of mass casualties includes the rapid appearance of over 60 new burial mounds in a two-week period.
- Food supplies in el-Fasher have completely run out, according to local resistance committees, leaving an estimated 300,000 residents trapped.
- The RSF has effectively sealed the city by constructing a 57km earthen wall, preventing escape and aid access.
- Attacks include targeted bombardment of shelters and residential areas, with reports of munitions destroying roofs and burning occupants inside.
New evidence from Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, based on satellite imagery, suggests Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are committing actions that constitute war crimes by intentionally targeting civilians in the besieged city of el-Fasher. Researchers documented the rapid appearance of over 60 new burial mounds over a two-week period, indicating mass civilian casualties. Residents are now entirely trapped after the RSF completed a 57km earthen wall, and local resistance committees confirm that all food supplies, including desperation measures like peanut residue, have completely run out. The RSF, which has roots in the Janjaweed militia, has been accused of ethnic targeting since the civil war erupted in April 2023. Satellite analysis also shows evidence of targeted attacks on residential buildings and shelters, with reports of munitions entering roofs and burning occupants alive. With no aid planes or ground efforts breaking the siege, the estimated 300,000 remaining inhabitants face imminent starvation and continued bombardment in their last places of refuge.
