New Satellite Images Indicate Possible Mass Graves in Al Fasher, Sudan
Researchers from Yale University have identified activity from satellite images in Al Fasher, Sudan, that aligns with signs of mass graves and extensive killings. This comes a week after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of the last army-held city in the Darfur region.
Context of the Conflict
On October 26, after nearly two years of conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF, the paramilitary group captured Al Fasher, a strategic city in Darfur they had surrounded for about 18 months.
Findings from Satellite Imagery
- Evidence of door-to-door killings reported.
- Mass graves identified near a mosque and the former Children’s Hospital.
- Blood-stained areas and bodies visible along an earthen berm.
- Metre-long trenches and removal of groups of objects believed to be bodies.
Yale Humanitarian Research Lab Report
The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab reported “body disposal activities” consistent with mass graves, noting disturbances near a mosque and hospital. They also observed trenches and the disappearance of clusters likely representing bodies deposited and later relocated.
Additional Observations
Hospitals in the city appear to have been converted into detention centers and locations of killings, confirming witness accounts and paramilitary videos shared online.
Author's Summary: Satellite evidence from Yale researchers suggests mass graves and ongoing atrocities in Al Fasher following the RSF's capture of the city, highlighting severe humanitarian concerns in Darfur.