This satellite image taken by Airbus DS shows objects on the ground at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in el-Fasher, Sudan, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025
When the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stormed the city of El-Fasher in North Darfur last weekend, horror followed. Witnesses, aid workers, and the United Nations report that hundreds of civilians, including patients, were brutally killed inside Saudi Hospital. The shocking assault marks one of the darkest moments in Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict.
Hospital Turned Killing Ground
According to the World Health Organization, around 460 patients and their companions were slaughtered when RSF fighters entered Saudi Hospital.
Witnesses described a scene of unimaginable brutality — men, women, and children shot inside hospital wards and on the streets. Some were killed while fleeing for safety.
The RSF, a powerful paramilitary group led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has waged a violent campaign against Sudan’s army for two years. The conflict has already claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced more than 14 million people, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
“They Killed Everyone Inside”
Sudanese residents who fled the city shared chilling accounts of the attack.
“The Janjaweed showed no mercy,” said Umm Amena, a mother of four who escaped after two days of hiding. Using the local term for the RSF, she recalled seeing fighters execute patients, companions, and staff without hesitation.
The Sudan Doctors Network confirmed that everyone found inside the hospital was “cold-bloodedly killed.” The network has been documenting medical atrocities throughout the conflict.
RSF Admits “Abuses” Amid Global Outrage
General Dagalo, sanctioned by the United States, admitted on Telegram that “abuses” occurred during the operation but claimed an investigation was underway.
However, rights groups and survivors doubt any real accountability will follow.
Footage circulated online shows RSF fighters walking through hospital corridors lined with bodies. In one video, a fighter fires at a wounded man sitting on the floor. Although the Associated Press could not verify the footage, witnesses say it reflects what they saw firsthand.
Survivors Describe “A Killing Field”
Tens of thousands fled El-Fasher after the RSF takeover. The U.N. migration agency reported that more than 36,000 people have already escaped to nearby areas.
Survivors described scenes of mass executions, torture, and sexual violence.
“It was like a killing field,” said Tajal-Rahman, a 58-year-old man who fled to Tawila. “Bodies everywhere, bleeding, and no one to help.”
Both he and Amena said RSF fighters beat detainees and shot at least four people who later died from their wounds.
Doctors Without Borders reported treating dozens of patients with gunshot and bombing injuries in Tawila. Many were children — some malnourished, others orphaned. One doctor recalled treating three siblings, the youngest just 40 days old, who lost their entire family in El-Fasher.
Satellite Images Reveal Mass Graves
The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab released a report confirming mass killings through satellite imagery.
The images showed bloodstains and human remains around Saudi Hospital and a former children’s hospital used as a detention site.
The report indicated “systematic killings” by the RSF near the city’s eastern wall. Humanitarian organizations say the actual death toll is likely far higher than current estimates due to communication blackouts and restricted access.
UNICEF described El-Fasher’s situation as “an absolute catastrophe.” Thousands of children were already suffering from disease and hunger before the siege. Now, the city has become what one aid worker called “hell on earth.”
Global Condemnation and Calls for Action
The atrocities sparked international condemnation. France, Germany, the UK, and the European Union denounced the RSF’s actions.
Human Rights Watch said the footage “reveals a horrifying truth — the RSF feels free to commit mass atrocities without fear of punishment.”
U.S. officials also expressed outrage. Massad Boulos, senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, called the violence “abhorrent and unacceptable.” He urged RSF leaders to match their words on civilian protection with real action.
Senator Jim Risch of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee went further, urging that the RSF be designated a foreign terrorist organization for committing genocide and mass atrocities.
Sudan’s Future in Peril
As El-Fasher lies in ruins, fears grow that Sudan may once again fragment, just 15 years after South Sudan’s independence.
The war has not only shattered the nation’s unity but also exposed the world’s failure to prevent another large-scale massacre in Darfur.
The Saudi Hospital attack stands as a grim reminder — in Sudan’s war for power, civilians are paying the ultimate price.
