The city no journalist can enter: El Fasher’s battle for survival - BBC World Service Documentaries

Key Concepts

• Sudan Civil War (2023-present)
• Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
• Ethnic cleansing
• Masalit tribe
• Darfur genocide
• El Geneina
• El Fasher
• Humanitarian crisis
• War crimes
• Sexual violence as a weapon of war
• Displacement and refugees

Darfur Civil War: A Tale of Two Cities

Introduction

The video investigates the ongoing civil war in Sudan, focusing on the atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Darfur region, particularly against the Masalit tribe. It highlights the humanitarian crisis, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes, using firsthand accounts and video evidence. The report centers on the cities of El Geneina, which has fallen to the RSF, and El Fasher, which is battling for survival.

The Fall of El Geneina

• RSF Atrocities: The RSF is accused of ethnic cleansing, deliberately targeting civilians, especially the Masalit. They filmed themselves committing violence, including executions, and posting the videos online.
• Personal Accounts:
  • Sawsan, a counselor from El Geneina, describes the RSF attack on her hometown in April 2023, leading to widespread terror and displacement.
  • Mohamed, a former security guard and Masalit, recounts the siege of El Geneina, the lack of food, and the overwhelming force of the RSF and allied Arab militias.
  • Nadia, a Masalit woman living in a displaced persons camp in El Geneina, describes the RSF setting fire to Masalit homes and their declaration that "No Masalit will remain here."
• Historical Context: The conflict is rooted in historical tensions between settled African tribes like the Masalit and nomadic Arabic groups competing for resources. The Janjaweed militia, later rebranded as the RSF in 2013, began attacking African tribes in the late 1990s, escalating to massacres by 2003.
• Specific Incidents:
  • The Sudanese Red Crescent counted over 2,000 bodies in El Geneina on a single day.
  • Mohamed photographed numerous dead bodies at a mosque in Al Madaris neighborhood, where the RSF had killed people.
• The Killing of Governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar: The governor of West Darfur, Khamis Abdullah Abakar, a Masalit, was captured and killed by the RSF shortly after giving a phone interview about the ongoing attacks. A video showed his body lying in the street.
• Ethnic Cleansing: After the governor's death, thousands of Masalit fled El Geneina, facing abuse and robbery by RSF fighters. The RSF celebrated their victory in deserted Masalit neighborhoods, declaring them "the home of Arabs now." Satellite images show entire Masalit neighborhoods systematically burned.
• Sexual Violence: Sexual violence was used as a weapon of war. The UN found that girls as young as 14 had been raped in El Geneina. Sawsan recounts her own experience of being sexually assaulted by RSF fighters.

El Fasher: A City Under Siege

• Strategic Importance: El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is the last major city holding out against the RSF.
• Citizen Journalism: With no journalists able to access El Fasher, the BBC relies on citizen journalists – Mostafa, Hafiza, and Manahel – to document life under siege.
• Daily Life Under Bombardment: The city's one million inhabitants face relentless artillery shelling by the RSF. Civilians are caught in the crossfire between the RSF and the Sudanese Army.
• Humanitarian Crisis: The UN reports that almost 2,000 people have been killed or injured in El Fasher since the siege began. The city is at risk of famine, with food prices soaring.
• Personal Accounts:
  • Mostafa, a volunteer with a community kitchen, describes the deserted streets and the constant threat of shelling.
  • Manahel, displaced from her home, recounts the difficulty of finding safety and the fear that grips the people.
  • Hafiza, a student, mourns the death of her mother, who was killed by RSF shelling in the market.
• Fear of RSF Takeover: Residents fear that if the RSF takes control of El Fasher, they will loot, rape, and kill, as they did in El Geneina.
• Displacement: Hafiza, Manahel, and Mostafa decide to leave El Fasher due to the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis.

The Ardamata Massacre

• RSF Capture of Army Base: In November 2023, the RSF captured the Sudanese army’s 15th division base in Ardamata, where thousands of Masalit had sought refuge.
• Targeting of Masalit: The RSF fighters went house to house, specifically targeting the Masalit.
• Torture and Execution: Masalit men were taken captive, interrogated, beaten, and executed. Videos show RSF fighters torturing and killing Masalit men.
• Survivor Accounts: Survivors recount being beaten, forced to crawl, and witnessing the execution of other captives.
• Scale of the Massacre: The UN estimates that up to 15,000 people were killed in the massacres in El Geneina and Ardamata.

Investigation and Accountability

• Access to El Geneina: The BBC team gains access to El Geneina, accompanied by minders from the governor’s office.
• RSF Control: The RSF is clearly in control of the city.
• Governor Tijani Karshoum: The new governor of West Darfur, Tijani Karshoum, denies the scale of the killings and calls for an investigation committee. He claims that security has been restored and that most refugees have returned.
• EU Sanctions: The European Union placed Karshoum under sanctions in December 2024 for his role in the killing of his predecessor and for human rights abuses.
• International Criminal Court: Videos of RSF abuses are being used as evidence by the International Criminal Court in its investigation of alleged crimes in El Geneina.
• US and EU Sanctions: The US and EU have imposed sanctions on the RSF and its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, for committing atrocities.

Conclusion

The video paints a grim picture of the ongoing civil war in Sudan, highlighting the systematic atrocities committed by the RSF against the Masalit and other African tribes in Darfur. The cities of El Geneina and El Fasher serve as stark examples of the violence, displacement, and humanitarian crisis gripping the region. Despite international investigations and sanctions, the killings continue, and the future remains uncertain for millions of Sudanese people. The report concludes with the departure of the citizen journalists from El Fasher, underscoring the desperate situation and the ongoing threat of genocide.