Location of Incident: El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State.
Impact Location: Imam Al-Kadhim School shelter center at coordinates 13.437345, 22.442515.
Date: The exact date of the fire could not be accurately determined, but cross-referencing media and social media reports and satellite imagery suggests that the fire likely broke out on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
Time: The exact time of the fire could not be determined. Initial reports show that clashes in El Geneina began at around 8:31 AM local time on April 24, 2023. Satellite imagery indicates that the shelter centers, including the Imam Al-Kadhim School shelter, were likely burned on April 25, 2023.
Victims: The exact number of victims could not be confirmed, but news and civil society reports claimed dozens were killed or injured in shelters during this period in El Geneina.
Type of Incident: Fire.
Weapons Used: Unknown.
Possible Perpetrators: Rapid Support Forces and allied militias, the Sudanese Armed Forces, or other militias from outside the city.

Introduction

Clashes occurring between April 24 and 27, 2023 within El Geneina city led to fires at displaced persons’ shelters, including a shelter center at Imam Al-Kadhim School.

According to videos and images shared on social media, the incidents resulted in dozens killed and injured, with near-total destruction within the shelters, in addition to the displacement of their residents.

*A satellite image from* *ESRI World Imagery Wayback* shows the Imam Al-Kadhim School shelter (highlighted in blue) and other shelter centers (highlighted in white) on May 17, 2023, showing burn damage. Annotated by Sudanese Archive on the image captured on July 4, 2024.

Impact Location

Imam Al-Kadhim School is located in Al-Majlis neighborhood of El Geneina, West Darfur State. Since January 2020, along with other government facilities and schools, it was converted into temporary shelters for displaced persons following the Krinding events, housing 2,617 displaced individuals at that time.

A *screenshot* from the Sudanese Professionals Association's Facebook page showing the number of displaced persons in several temporary shelter centers, including the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter. This was captured by Sudanese Archive on February 14, 2024.

Nearby the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter, within a radius of roughly 600 meters, is the West Darfur State Police Headquarters building, approximately 400 meters away from the shelter; along with several government facilities that have been converted into temporary shelters and are claimed to have also burned during the same time period.

A satellite image from Google Earth Pro shows the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter (highlighted in blue) and nearby shelters (highlighted in red; some markers contain multiple shelters). Annotated by Sudanese Archive on the image captured on April 28, 2024.

Satellite images via Google Earth Pro indicate that Imam Al-Kadhim School was transformed into a shelter in two phases: the first phase occurred at some point between January 24 and September 1, 2020. The images reveal changes in the courtyard of Imam Al-Kadhim School, with the initial formation of the shelter resembling tents and canopies (which are structures made from sticks, resembling large pavilions) on January 24, and their absence by September 1, 2020.

Darfur 24 reported on January 31, 2020 that the Director-General of the Ministry of Education and Guidance, Dafalla Adam Ahmed, stated that 18 primary and secondary schools had been converted into shelters. He confirmed that students from the affected schools were redistributed to other schools, attending classes in the evening after the regular students had left. He noted that attendance was very low, particularly among younger primary school students.

The second phase began in January 2021 and continued until the fire in April 2023. Satellite images show the return of tents and canopies inside the courtyard, and their expansion.

Animated satellite images from Google Earth Pro showing the transformation of the courtyard of Imam Al-Kadhim School into a temporary shelter between January 2021 and April 2023, captured and compiled by Sudanese Archive on April 29, 2024.

Imam Al-Kadhim School was mentioned as a shelter center on December 31, 2019, when El Geneina Coordination (a local civil society activist group) called on displaced persons to go there to obtain shelter and food.

A report published by the International Organization for Migration in March 2021 estimated the number of displaced families at Imam Al-Kadhim School to be 700. The head of Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter, locally known as the "Sheikh of the Camp", stated in a press interview with Philosophers News published on Facebook on June 9, 2021, that the number of families in the camp had reached 832.

What Happened and When

Accounts from news sites, local pages, and personal accounts, including images and videos, claimed that clashes occurred in El Geneina between April 24 and 28, 2023, involving Rapid Support Forces and their allied militias, as well as the Sudanese Armed Forces and its supporters. The Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter and other shelters in the city were reported to have caught fire, along with claims of looting, killings, injuries, and the displacement of residents from El Geneina.

Initial Reports

The first report that Sudanese Archive obtained came at 8:31 AM local time on April 24, 2023. Journalist Enaam Al-Nour Mohamed from El Geneina Radio reported clashes involving "light and heavy weapons since the morning in El Geneina."

At 8:51 AM, a post on X (formerly Twitter) mentioned ongoing clashes in El Geneina between Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Al-Jamarik neighborhood.

*Screenshot from a* *post* *by the activist "Abu Ghareeb" on X, captured by Sudanese Archive on March 28, 2024.*

At 8:58 AM, the Facebook page "Arniga people around the world" posted about a clash described as "very intense, with heavy and medium weapons in El Geneina."

A *screenshot* *from the "Arniga people around the world" Facebook account regarding the clashes in El Geneina. This was captured by Sudanese Archive on April 29, 2024.*

A post on X at 9:43 AM mentioned eyewitness accounts of gunfire occurring between RSF and SAF in Al-Jamarik neighborhood in the western part of the city and in Al-Jabal neighborhood.

Sources including Facebook accounts, news outlets and civil society organisations reported that the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter was set on fire. A report published by Human Rights Watch identified that shelters, including the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter, were attacked on April 25, 2023. However, a post on X, accompanied by an unclear image, stated that fires broke out in the shelters, including Imam Al-Kadhim School, at 9:00 AM on April 27, 2023. Sudanese Archive could not confirm whether the stated date referred to the incident itself or when the information was received.

A *screenshot* *from a post by Bastawi on X. This was captured by Sudanese Archive on February 3, 2023.*

The first clear images of the aftermath of fires at the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter appeared on April 28, 2023, when a Facebook account posted a series of photos from the location.

A *screenshot* *from a Facebook post purportedly showing the aftermath of fires at Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter. This was captured by Sudanese Archive on February 3, 2024.*

In a video purportedly showing burned areas in El Geneina, Abdelkhaleq Dodin, the Darfur governor's advisor for humanitarian affairs, blamed militias from outside the city for the attack and the burning of 10 shelters, as well as hospitals, clinics, water points and the city market; and for the siege of civilians and the looting of their homes and public facilities.

The exact location of Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter is absent from, but near to, heat signatures displayed on the NASA FIRMS website for April 25, 2023. The other shelters under investigation, which reportedly burned in the same period of days, are located within the areas highlighted by NASA FIRMS heat signatures for the same date.

*An image from* *NASA FIRMS* *on April 25, 2023 shows the presence of heat signatures (red marks) near the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter (indicated by the yellow square), captured by Sudanese Archive on July 4, 2024.*

Considering the above information, taking into account news and social media reports and satellite imagery analysis, Sudanese Archive estimates that the burning likely took place on April 25, 2023.

Geographic Location

Impact Location: Imam Al-Kadhim School

Coordinates: 13.437345, 22.442515

A video and images show the aftermath of a fire purportedly at the Imam Al-Kadhim School shelter. Sudanese Archive confirmed their location by comparing them with satellite images from Google Earth.

*At the top are* *two images* *from a Facebook post, and at the bottom is a satellite image from Google Earth at the coordinates 13.437345, 22.442515. Annotated by Sudanese Archive on the images captured on February 1, 2024.*

Destruction

A video published by Radio Dabanga on YouTube on April 28, 2023, along with images shared on Facebook on the same date, show the destruction at the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter, including burned furniture, trees, and water tanks, as well as near-total destruction of tents and makeshift structures. Additionally, there are signs of smoke on the stone buildings and the perimeter wall.

An *image* *from Facebook shows fire damage to water tanks at the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter. The image was captured by Sudanese Archive on April 30, 2023.*

An *image* *from Facebook shows fire damage to household furniture at the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter. The image was captured by Sudanese Archive on April 30, 2024.*

*At the top is an* *image* published by the official page of the Imam Al-Kadhim School Reconstruction Initiative on May 18, 2017, showing use of corrugated metal sheets for roofing (locally known as ‘zinc’); the image was captured by Sudanese Archive on Nov 28, 2024 . At the bottom is a screenshot from a *video* *published by Radio Dabanga showing fire damage to the corrugated metal sheets used for roofing. The screenshot was captured by Sudanese Archive on February 22, 2024.*

*At the top is an* *image* published by the official page of the Imam Al-Kadhim School Reconstruction Initiative on December 12, 2016, showing the schoolyard; the image was captured by Sudanese Archive on Nov 28, 2024 . At the bottom is an *image* from a Facebook post showing fire damage to stone buildings, trees, metal barrels, and household furniture. This image was published on April 28, 2023, and captured by Sudanese Archive on April 30, 2024.

An *image* from a Facebook post showing damage to the stone buildings, temporary structures, small transport vehicles, and water tanks inside the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter, captured by Sudanese Archive on April 30, 2024.

*At the top is an* *image* *published by the official page for the Imam Al-Kadhim School Reconstruction Initiative on December 12, 2016; the image was captured by Sudanese Archive on Nov 28, 2024 . At the bottom is an* *image* *from a Facebook post showing damage to the school’s gate and trees; and ash spread inside the courtyard, published on April 28, 2023, and captured by Sudanese Archive on April 30, 2024.*

*At the top is an* *image* *from a Facebook post showing the school’s outer wall, published on October 4, 2016; the image was captured by Sudanese Archive on Nov 28, 2024 . At the bottom is an* *image* from a Facebook post showing damage to the outer wall, signage boards, trees, and boxes in front of the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter, published on April 28, 2023, and captured by Sudanese Archive on April 30, 2024.

The area of the Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter is estimated to be approximately 9,300 square meters, according to the area measurement tool in Google Earth Pro.

To determine the extent of the damage at the shelter, Sudanese Archive also relied on:

a satellite image found in Google Earth Pro from April 19, 2023 (before the incident);
a Human Rights Watch report that contained a satellite image from April 30, 2023 (after the incident); and
a satellite image found in Google Earth Pro from April 12, 2024 (after the incident).

The two aftermath images showed that most of the courtyard area was affected by fire and that the tents and shelters within it were gone, while the stone buildings were damaged.

A satellite image from Google Earth Pro showing the Imam Al-Kadhim School shelter at coordinates 13.437345, 22.442515 on April 19, 2023 (before the incident), captured by Sudanese Archive on July 4, 2024.

*A satellite image of the Imam Al-Kadhim (also spelt Imam Al-Kazem) School shelter at coordinates 13.437345, 22.442515 on April 30, 2023 - source: Human Rights Watch* *report, captured by Sudanese Archive on July 4, 2024.*

The Google Earth satellite image from April 12, 2024, almost one year after the incident, shows destruction and the absence of tents and shelters, indicating that the displaced persons have not returned.

A satellite image from Google Earth Pro of the Imam Al-Kadhim School shelter at coordinates 13.437345, 22.442515, showing damage to the building's roof and the absence of tents and shelters, annotated and captured by Sudanese Archive on July 24, 2024.

Conclusion

Based on the detailed information above, it can be confirmed that the Imam Al-Kadhim School shelter center was burned, leading to its near-total destruction, and implying that the residents were displaced. Initial reports, and analysis of images, videos and satellite imagery state that the shelter was burned between April 24 and April 27, 2023, with the most likely date as April 25. Sudanese Archive could not accurately determine the presence of fatalities at the Imam Al-Kadhim School shelter center.

Visual content, witness testimonies, reports circulated by local media and activists, international civil society and UN reports, and satellite imagery analysis, confirm extensive destruction in multiple shelters across the city, pointing to a deliberate and systematic campaign of destruction against internally displaced persons’ shelters. Sudanese Archive was not able to independently determine who was responsible for the burning of the shelter centers, but reports shared online pointed to the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias, the Sudanese Armed Forces, or other militias from outside the city as involved in fighting in El Geneina during this period, and as potentially responsible for the attacks on the shelter centers.

.css-68jq5d{padding-bottom:1.45rem;color:#ffffff;-webkit-transition:0.25s;transition:0.25s;}.css-68jq5d:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}INVESTIGATIONS

Investigation into the Burning, and Displacement of Residents of Imam Al-Kadhim School Shelter Center

Table Of Contents

INVESTIGATIONS