A BBC News investigation has documented evidence demonstrating that paramilitary fighters in Sudan deliberately and systematically dismantled el-Fasher's healthcare infrastructure during their year-long siege and subsequent seizure of the city in Darfur. The findings have drawn international condemnation, with UN human rights chief Volker Türk describing them as "deeply disturbing."
Under international humanitarian law, deliberately attacking medical facilities or targeting healthcare personnel during armed conflict constitutes a war crime. Despite this legal prohibition, the investigation reveals a pattern of destruction targeting the city's hospitals and medical services.
The allegations have been disputed by the health minister of the paramilitary group's civilian-affiliated government, Dr Alaa Eldin Nugud, who characterised the BBC's findings as propaganda rather than factual reporting.
The investigation includes testimony from two doctors working in el-Fasher who corroborate claims that hospitals were deliberately targeted. BBC Africa correspondent Barbara Plett Usher interviewed these medical professionals about their experiences during the paramilitary takeover.
Broader Pattern of Violence in Sudan
This investigation into hospital targeting in el-Fasher fits within a wider pattern of documented violence by paramilitary forces across Sudan. The ICC has found concrete evidence linking RSF leaders to war crimes in Darfur, including massacres in el-Fasher and el-Geneina. Additionally, a drone attack by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces killed 41 people at a displaced persons camp in the Blue Nile region near Ethiopia, underscoring the humanitarian toll of the ongoing conflict.
Key Facts
- A BBC investigation documents systematic destruction of el-Fasher's healthcare system by paramilitary fighters
- Attacking health facilities during conflict violates international humanitarian law
- UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called the findings "deeply disturbing"
- The paramilitary group's government health minister dismissed the allegations as propaganda
- Doctors interviewed by the BBC corroborate claims of deliberate hospital targeting
