Yale Lab Documents Mass Killings in Sudan, Urges Student Action

The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab has released alarming evidence indicating that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are conducting mass killings in Sudan following their takeover of El-Fasher, North Darfur. The lab’s analysis of satellite and open-source data corroborates reports of killings throughout civilian neighborhoods and near multiple hospitals. According to Nathaniel Raymond, the lab’s executive director, individuals on the ground reported that as of Monday, 1,200 people were confirmed dead, with estimates rising to 10,000 by the evening. By Tuesday, contact with local sources ceased, leading to fears that those who reported the violence may have been killed.

This analysis marks the lab’s first report on the mass killings since the conflict escalated. It details the RSF’s operations in the Daraja Oula neighborhood of El-Fasher, where satellite images revealed RSF vehicles, some armed, blocking streets and evidence of human-sized objects and reddish discoloration on the ground, consistent with reports of executions.

Raymond drew parallels to previous atrocities, stating, “I haven’t seen violence like this since Rwanda. The velocity and ferocity of the RSF killing civilians since Sunday is unlike anything I’ve seen in 26 years of doing this work.”

Context of the Conflict

The ongoing conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has resulted in over 150,000 civilian deaths and the displacement of 14 million people, as reported by the BBC. The primary confrontation is between the RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), vying for control of the nation. The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and supported financially by the United Arab Emirates, emerged from the Janjaweed militia, infamous for its role in the Darfur genocide in 2003.

Raymond highlighted the broader implications of the violence, noting, “The groups that have been rallied to fight are doubtlessly trying to settle scores, and some wish to ethnically cleanse northern Darfur.” This context is crucial as the RSF captured El-Fasher, which had been the last stronghold of the SAF in Darfur after enduring an 18-month siege.

The Humanitarian Research Lab has been documenting the conflict since its inception in 2023. Their earlier work included the documentation of the El-Geneina massacre in June 2023, which saw the killing of between 10,000 and 15,000 civilians, primarily from the Massalit tribe in West Darfur. Kholood Khair, a peace fellow at the Jackson School of Global Affairs, stated, “We are absolutely seeing the same patterns of violence — the systemic, ethnic-based violence — today in El-Fasher as we saw two years ago against the Massalit community in West Darfur.”

Call to Action

In light of these developments, Raymond criticized the international community’s inaction, particularly the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom, for prioritizing economic and security relationships with the UAE over the lives of Sudanese citizens. He expressed hope that U.S. President Biden would make a statement regarding the RSF’s actions, emphasizing that the U.S. has not imposed sanctions on the UAE.

Raymond remarked, “The reason that we are where we are is that we just didn’t care enough. The survival of these people, their lives, matter less than our economic and security relationships with the UAE, and that’s why these people are dying.” He noted a troubling lack of activism on U.S. campuses, including Yale, where there has been minimal momentum in response to the escalating violence.

He urged students to mobilize with the same vigor that characterized the Save Darfur movement two decades ago, which saw widespread activism across U.S. universities. “I don’t think Yale students know how powerful they are. They’re very powerful, if they choose to be,” Raymond concluded.

The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, part of the Yale School of Public Health, continues to call for increased awareness and action in response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan.