Satellites Confront Militias with Scientific Evidence in the Sereha Massacre

The BBC has applied a unique scientific method to prove the crimes of the rebellious Rapid Support Forces militia against civilians in the village of Sarha in the Gezira State. The massacres targeted dozens of civilians and families, and BBC proved that the militia was lying, attempting to evade responsibility for the killings and humiliations they had committed.

The BBC did not rely on the repeated reports from its correspondents and eyewitnesses, government statements, and the denials from the Rapid Support Forces militia, nor on the video footage provided by the perpetrators themselves, or the victim families’ testimonies, despite their truthfulness and large number. Instead, it resorted to satellite imagery, thermal images, building comparisons, soil samples, and grave dirt, as well as facial recognition of the attackers. It then compared all this data to reach a decisive conclusion: “The Rapid Support Forces militia committed crimes and massacres in the village of Sarha in Gezira State.”

The BBC placed these horrific acts in context, reporting that the killings took place after the former leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Abu Aqla Kekel, defected from the rebellion and returned to the Sudanese army, regretting his previous alliance with the militia that had found in him strong support in the region. His return to the truth angered the militia, which expressed its rage by seeking revenge against the defenseless civilians, their families, and their social supporters.

In a report on the massacre, the BBC revealed that an analysis was conducted under the “verification” program, showing “fighters boasting about the massacre and mocking survivors afterward.” The program confirmed that the perpetrators appeared to be members of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces militia.

The report also included key data, noting that “at least 80 people were killed in the October attack on the village of Sarha in Gezira State,” with the United Nations reporting that the death toll could reach up to 124. Eyewitnesses told the BBC’s verification program that they had seen “unarmed civilians being shot at close range by fighters while trying to flee.”

The BBC pointed out that “it appears the massacre was related to the defection of one of the senior Rapid Support Forces leaders in Gezira State and his joining the country’s armed forces.” A spokesperson for the Rapid Support Forces denied any involvement in the killings, adding that the militia “works to protect civilians and enhance security and peace, not target them.”

Shortly after Kekel’s defection, the BBC reported that “armed elements launched a series of at least 69 retaliatory attacks on areas and villages in Gezira State between October 20 and November 4, according to data recorded by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).”

The BBC verification program used all the tools mentioned above to come to a convincing conclusion, whether supporting or rejecting the initial hypotheses.

Mohammed Ismail was performing the morning prayer in the village mosque on the morning of October 25 when he heard the sounds of fighters approaching the outskirts of Seareha, a town of about 15,000 people, located 90 kilometers (60 miles) south of Khartoum. He rushed home to protect his family as gunshots rang out, and violence erupted everywhere. He said the attackers climbed onto the roof of a mosque and began firing “at anything that moved” below. Many people were shot while trying to escape, “and others were killed at close range in the surrounding fields. Many of his family members were among the dead.”

The BBC noted that the attackers appeared to be from the Rapid Support Forces based on photos showing “forces wearing the Rapid Support Forces insignia celebrating their attack on the village and the killing of local civilians. The insignia is a circular patch worn on their right shoulders, which features a black design and a curved representation of the Sudanese flag along with a circular emblem above it, which is used by the Rapid Support Forces.” Satellite images confirmed the location of the attack in Sarha by comparing buildings and other distinctive features visible in the videos.

The report also noted the presence of one attacker showing off his wristwatch to the camera, confirming that the attack occurred on October 25, matching the date given by Ismail.

The BBC shared satellite images taken after the attack, showing new mounds in the village cemetery, which were not present in earlier images taken in May of the same year. These newly formed mounds were likely graves, indicating that many bodies had been buried there.

Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, explained that in a separate image taken on October 30, the graves appeared recently dug based on the distinctive shape of the mounds and the color of the surrounding soil. The BBC also shared a satellite image from December 6, which clearly showed the mass grave.

The report mentioned that while the BBC could not verify the exact number of people buried in the new section of the cemetery, the size of the earth mounds indicated that a large number of bodies had been buried there.

After the initial gunfire ended and the militia took control of the village, they gathered all the surviving men and detained them. The BBC obtained videos showing the arrests and abductions. One video showed at least 60 people seated or standing against a wall under the armed guard of militia members.

At the same time, social media reported the survivors sitting against walls while armed guards filmed them. Some of the prisoners appeared elderly, many wearing what appeared to be white clothes stained with blood. In the video footage, the attackers mocked the prisoners, calling them “sons of dogs” and forcing them to imitate animal sounds (a form of humiliation).

The BBC verified that this video was filmed in the northwest part of the village by matching distinctive features visible in satellite maps. Later, another group of men walked in front of the attackers, hands behind their backs, while the attackers mocked them.

The testimony of one village resident, Mohamed Ismail, indicated that the survivors were forced to pay a ransom for the release of their family members. He reported that the kidnappers demanded between $100 and $1,000 per person.

In a statement, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, urged countries to stop providing weapons to both sides of the conflict, stating that these supplies prolong the war. She added, “The people of Sudan have borne the brunt of this war. They deserve to live in security, dignity, and justice. They deserve life.”