Doctors Union reports mass killings, ethnic cleansing in Sudan

A medical association in Sudan has issued a stark warning, stating that as many as 177,000 civilians are trapped in the city of El-Fasher amid allegations of mass killings and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Sudan Doctors' Union described a "horrifying massacre" and a "crime of racial cleansing" following the RSF's capture of the North Darfur capital over the weekend.

Accounts of Atrocities

In a detailed statement, the union reported that the RSF has engaged in widespread violations, including summary executions, systematic raids on homes, acts of sexual violence, and forcing victims to dig their own graves before being buried alive. The statement grimly noted that "innocent people were executed by being burned alive" while trying to flee. Communication blackouts and extreme insecurity have made verifying the full death toll difficult, but initial estimates from field teams suggest thousands have been killed in just a few hours.

Targeting Health and Flight

The brutality extended directly to the healthcare system. The union confirmed a massacre at the Saudi Hospital in El-Fasher, where over 450 patients and wounded individuals were reportedly executed, alongside hundreds more in other medical facilities. The World Health Organization has verified hundreds of attacks on healthcare since the war began in April 2023. Furthermore, the RSF allegedly attacked escape routes to prevent civilians from reaching safety, with those attempting to flee by car being burned alive inside their vehicles. This has contributed to a massive new wave of displacement, with tens of thousands fleeing the city in recent days.

International Condemnation and Context

The Sudan Doctors' Union has strongly condemned what it labels as genocide, systematic ethnic cleansing, and full-fledged war crimes, adding to the RSF's long record of atrocities in the Darfur region. The union is urgently calling on the international community and humanitarian organizations to intervene and protect the Sudanese people. The humanitarian catastrophe in El-Fasher unfolds within the wider context of a devastating civil war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions across the country.