El Fasher, June 05 (Darfur24)
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have begun relocating the remains of war victims from makeshift burial sites in El Fasher to officially designated cemeteries, according to returnees and local sources.
Sources close to the RSF told Darfur24 that authorities have launched an operation to exhume bodies buried in improvised graves during the fighting and prolonged siege of the city, when insecurity and deteriorating humanitarian conditions made access to formal cemeteries difficult.
The sources stated that the initiative aims to relocate graves from residential and public areas and transfer the remains to designated burial grounds. The operation reportedly began in the Abu Shouk Al-Hilla neighborhood in western El Fasher.
Priority is being given to graves located in residential areas, schools, mosques, markets, and along major roads, with plans to expand the effort to other parts of the city.
El Fasher fell to the RSF in October 2025 after more than 18 months of fighting and siege, ending the Sudanese army’s control of its last major stronghold in Darfur.
Some returnees, however, voiced concerns about the exhumations, arguing that moving remains. At the same time, the conflict continues, and the absence of judicial institutions could complicate future investigations into alleged violations committed during the war.
They warned that the lack of functioning judicial and legal authorities in El Fasher and North Darfur could undermine efforts to preserve evidence and document potential crimes for future accountability processes.
Darfur24 was unable to obtain an official comment from the RSF regarding the operation or the procedures being followed in relocating the remains.