For 18 months, civilians in Sudan’s el-Fasher were trapped under siege as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces surrounded the western city, cutting off food and escape routes. When the city fell in October, thousands were killed as people tried to flee.

Survivors describe civilians being shot on the roads out of the city with bodies left behind. Rights groups say the RSF’s campaign in Darfur appears systematic, raising concerns of ethnic cleansing. Satellite imagery shows an earth barrier encircling el-Fasher, further restricting movement.

Through survivor testimony and visual evidence, Fault Lines, Lighthouse Reports and the Sudan War Monitor reconstruct the siege and investigate allegations of mass killings, disappearances and other abuses.