A new investigation by BBC Verify has uncovered chilling evidence of a mass killing of civilians in Sudan, allegedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - the powerful paramilitary group locked in a brutal civil war with the Sudanese army.

Humanitarian officials estimate that the massacre, which unfolded in the western city of El Geneina, left at least 2,000 people dead, many of them unarmed men, women, and children.

Verified Evidence of a Massacre

Through a combination of satellite imagery, video evidence, and eyewitness testimony, BBC Verify traced how RSF soldiers conducted systematic killings across neighborhoods in West Darfur over several days.

Footage analyzed by BBC teams shows bodies strewn across streets, burned-out homes, and armed men boasting about their actions. In one video, a fighter chillingly declares:

“Our job is only killing.”

Witnesses told BBC reporters that ethnic targeting played a major role in the attacks, with large numbers of victims belonging to the Masalit community, which the RSF has repeatedly accused of supporting the national army.

The Pattern of Violence

According to UN agencies and humanitarian monitors, this massacre follows a pattern of atrocities that have characterized the RSF’s campaign across Darfur. Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, rights groups have documented mass executions, torture, and the burning of entire villages.

Satellite data obtained by the BBC shows more than 6,000 structures destroyed around El Geneina between June and August 2025 alone. Aid organizations say that many bodies remain unburied, raising fears of disease outbreaks and long-term displacement.

A senior humanitarian official told BBC Verify that the scale of violence is among the worst seen in decades, describing Darfur as “a graveyard of international promises.”

International Response

The United Nations and African Union have both condemned the massacre, calling for independent investigations and accountability for perpetrators. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is reportedly reviewing new evidence of war crimes, including testimony and geolocated footage supplied by humanitarian observers.

Western governments, including the United States, have issued renewed sanctions on RSF leaders and individuals linked to atrocities, but humanitarian groups warn that political divisions and weak enforcement continue to block real accountability.

Efforts to deliver aid remain hampered. The UN estimates that over 10 million Sudanese are displaced, with many fleeing to Chad and South Sudan, where refugee camps are now overwhelmed.

A Country in Collapse

Sudan’s civil war, now in its third year, has fractured the nation into rival zones of control. The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), has entrenched its hold over Darfur and parts of Khartoum, while the Sudanese army remains in control of the country’s east.

Attempts by regional powers to broker peace have repeatedly failed. Analysts warn that without decisive international action, Sudan risks becoming a “permanent failed state” — one sustained by militias and warlords instead of governance or law.

A Cry for Justice

Survivors interviewed by BBC reporters describe a haunting sense of abandonment.

“The world knows what is happening, but no one stops them,” said one woman who lost her husband and two brothers in the attack.

As the conflict deepens, Sudan’s civilians remain caught in a cycle of impunity, forced displacement, and trauma — victims of a war that shows no sign of ending.