Emerging evidence of systematic killings in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher have prompted human rights and aid activists to describe the civil war between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the military as a continuation of the Darfur genocide.

The fall of el-Fasher, in the Darfur region, after an 18-month RSF siege brings together the different layers of the country's conflict – with echoes of its dark past and the brutality of its present-day war.

The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed, Arab militias who massacred hundreds of thousands of Darfuris from non-Arab populations, in the early 2000s.

The paramilitary force has been accused of ethnic killings since its power struggle with the army erupted into violence in April 2023. The RSF leadership has consistently denied the accusations - although on Wednesday its leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo admitted to violations in el-Fasher.

The current charges are based on apparent evidence of atrocities provided by the RSF fighters themselves. They have been sharing gruesome videos reportedly showing summary executions of mostly male civilians and ex-combatants, celebrating over dead bodies, and taunting and abusing people.

Accounts from exhausted survivors also paint a picture of terror and violence.

One man told the BBC Arabic service that the situation in el-Fasher is extremely dire with violations occurring on the roads, including looting and shooting, with no distinction made between the young or old. Another survivor, Ikram Abdelhameed, reported that RSF soldiers separated fleeing civilians and shot the men.

Additionally, satellite images collected by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab show evidence of what appear to be massacre sites – clusters of bodies and reddish patches believed to be blood stains.

El-Fasher appears to be undergoing a systematic and intentional process of ethnic cleansing of indigenous non-Arab communities through forced displacement and summary execution, according to the Yale researchers.

The ethnic elements of the battle regarding local groups like the Zaghawa tribe, which fights alongside the army, have made the situation more perilous for non-Arab civilians.

Despite promises for investigations into the alleged atrocities made by Gen Dagalo, skepticism remains due to past unfulfilled assurances and the chaotic structure of the RSF. Observers highlight a continuous disregard for humanitarian warnings, calling for urgent international action to protect civilians amidst this unfolding crisis.