Our Task Consists of Only Killing' - How The Sudanese Brutal Fighting Force Carried out a Mass Killing
Alert: This Report Presents Explicit Accounts of Executions.
Combatants chuckle as they ride on the bed of a transport truck, speeding past a row of several dead bodies and heading towards the descending Sudan's evening sky.
"See such work. See this instance of mass destruction," a combatant cheers.
He grins as he points the camera on his own face and his companion fighters, their paramilitary identification on display: "They shall all perish in this manner."
These individuals are exulting in a massacre that aid workers fear claimed the lives of over thousands of civilians in the African metropolis of el-Fasher in recent weeks.
An Urban Center Isolated from the World
After maintaining the urban area under encirclement for almost 24 months, from August the RSF moved to reinforce its position and blockade the remaining civilian population.
Orbital photography show that forces started to build a massive earth barrier - a built-up sand barrier - surrounding the edges of el-Fasher, closing access routes and halting relief supplies.
While the blockade worsened, seventy-eight people were murdered in an paramilitary attack on a place of worship on 19 September, while the UN said fifty-three more were murdered in unmanned aircraft and heavy weapon strikes on a makeshift community in October.
Explicit Footage Shows Unarmed Civilians Shot
In the early morning on October 26th the paramilitary force conquered the remaining government strongholds and seized the central headquarters in the city, the command center of the Military Unit, as the government forces withdrew.
Perhaps the most horrific footage to appear and analysed showed the consequences of a mass killing at a educational facility on the western side of the city, where scores dead bodies were seen scattered across the area.
An elderly person wearing a white tunic remained by himself amongst the corpses. He turned to look as a fighter equipped with a rifle walked descending the staircase in the direction of him. Raising his firearm, the fighter discharged a single bullet at the victim, who fell to the floor motionless.
"How come is this one even alive," another militiaman cried. "Shoot him."
Orbital photography recorded on October 26th seemed to confirm that shootings were also carried out on the roads of el-Fasher, according to a report released by the academic research center.
An observer who communicated said the individual had observed "numerous of our kin getting massacred - these individuals were collected in a single location and everyone eliminated."
RSF Leaders Attempt to Carry Out Reputation Management
In the days that came after the killings, RSF chief acknowledged that his fighters had carried out "violations" and stated the events would be looked into.
Included among arrested was after a report recording his murders. Deliberately choreographed and produced footage shared on the RSF's formal messaging channel reveal him being led into a detention area at a detention facility on the outskirts of the city.
At the same time, the RSF and associated social media profiles began attempting to alter the story.
Content presenting its combatants providing assistance to residents were shared by various accounts, while the force's public relations unit published several clips claiming to demonstrate the proper management of government captives.
In spite of the social media initiative being employed by the RSF, their conduct in the city have provoked international condemnation.