Location of Incident: El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State.
Impact Locations: Dar Masalit School shelter center at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733; and the Ministry of Education shelter center at coordinates 13.434453, 22.442497.
Date: The exact date of the fires could not be accurately determined, but cross-referencing media and social media reports and satellite imagery suggests that the fires likely broke out on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
Time: The exact time of the fires 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 Dar Masalit School and Ministry of Education shelters, 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 the Ministry of Education shelter center and the Dar Masalit School shelter center.

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* *captured on May 17, 2023, shows the Dar Masalit School Shelter at coordinates* *13.434232, 22.439733* *and the Ministry of Education Shelter at coordinates* *13.434453, 22.442497* (highlighted by blue squares), as well as the other shelter centers in the Ministries area (highlighted by white squares), showing burn damage. The image, annotated by Sudanese Archive, was accessed on July 7, 2024.

Impact Locations

The Dar Masalit School and the Ministry of Education are located along the main A5 road between the Al-Tadamon and Al-Majlis neighborhoods in El Geneina. Several other ministries, which were also converted into shelters, are situated between them. These include the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Urban Planning.

A satellite image from Google Earth shows the Dar Masalit School shelter at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733, and the Ministry of Education shelter at coordinates 13.434453, 22.442497 (blue squares), along with the shelters in the three ministries: Social Development, Youth and Sports, and Urban Planning (yellow square). The image, annotated by Sudanese Archive, was accessed on July 7, 2024.

In addition to the ministries that were converted into shelters, the area is surrounded by other government buildings, including the West Darfur State Police Headquarters, adjacent to the Dar Masalit School shelter to the west; and the El Geneina Local Administration, adjacent to the Ministry of Education shelter, which also became shelters and were burned in the same incident, along with the Judiciary Authority. Opposite these buildings lies Al-Burhaniya Square, which also served as a shelter and was burned in the same incident.

A satellite image from Google Earth shows the A5 road that separates the Al-Majlis and Al-Tadamon neighborhoods. The blue squares indicate the locations of the Dar Masalit School shelter at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733, and the Ministry of Education shelter at coordinates 13.434453, 22.442497. The blue markers denote key government buildings in the area, some of which were also converted into shelters; and the purple marker denotes Al-Burhaniya Square, a public space. Captured and annotated by Sudanese Archive on July 7, 2024.

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 Sudan News Agency estimated in a report published on February 8, 2021, that around 1,460 displaced persons were housed in the Ministry of Education shelter. Sudanese Archive was unable to obtain any estimated figures regarding the number of displaced persons in the Dar Masalit School shelter.

To more accurately determine when the Ministry of Education and Dar Masalit School were converted into shelters, Sudanese Archive reviewed satellite images from Google Earth. The first appearance of tents and temporary structures in satellite images of the two locations was on January 24, 2020. Previous images from Google Earth on December 12, 2019 showed the locations were empty, with no signs of tents or structures. The structures disappeared by November 18, 2020, and reappeared by January 20, 2021. The number of structures noticeably increased by April 19, 2023, just days before the incident, eventually covering the entire areas of the Ministry of Education and Dar Masalit School.

Animated satellite images from Google Earth Pro showing the transformation of Dar Masalit School and the Ministry of Education (annotated by dark blue squares) into temporary shelters between 2019 and 2023. Annotated by Sudanese Archive, images captured and compiled on February 29, 2024.

What Happened and When

News websites and social media pages circulated reports, accompanied by images and videos, claiming that clashes occurred in El Geneina between April 24 and 28, 2023, and that shelters, including the Ministry of Education and Dar Masalit School, were burned. These incidents allegedly resulted in near-total destruction of the shelters and the displacement of their residents, along with claims of killing and injuring of people in the city, which was also subjected to looting.

Initial Reports

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

An account on X posted at 9:43 AM, citing eyewitnesses who reported gunfire exchanges between the SAF and the RSF near the RSF headquarters in Al-Jamarik neighborhood in the western part of the city, and in Al-Jabal neighborhood.

Later that day, the Women's Change Organization (WCO) posted a post on X reporting clashes in El Geneina between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, specifying that the incidents had begun at 8:00 AM local time.

A *screenshot* *from the WCO account regarding the clashes in El Geneina, captured by Sudanese Archive on February 3, 2024.*

Additionally, an account on X posted a post at 6:31 PM local time on April 24, 2023, about intense clashes in West Darfur State, mentioning smoke plumes and claiming that they were rising from Al-Jabal neighborhood block 2, and around the police headquarters. The images attached to the post show black smoke rising above a house, but Sudanese Archive could not identify the location due to the lack of clear landmarks.

A video, published on April 24, 2023, shows smoke that the videographer claims is from the 'headquarters,' and sounds of clashes can be heard, which are alleged to be between the RSF and the SAF in El Geneina.

The Dar Masalit School shelter and the West Darfur State police headquarters in El Geneina are separated by a side street and a wall, with a distance of no more than 15 meters.

A satellite image from Google Earth Pro dated April 19, 2023, shows the measurement tool indicating the distance between the police headquarters (annotated by a dark blue square) at coordinates 13.434273, 22.438888, and the Dar Masalit School shelter at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733. This screenshot was captured and annotated by Sudanese Archive on February 20, 2024.

A video posted on April 25, 2023, shows armed people and a burning police car in front of the West Darfur State Police Headquarters which adjoins Dar Masalit School, with smoke also rising from the western side of the police headquarters. For more details and geolocation, please see the Summary document.

Also on April 27, an account on X claimed in a post accompanied by a picture—whose location could not be precisely identified due to the lack of clear landmarks—that all displaced persons' camps, including those within schools in El Geneina, were set on fire.

*A screenshot from a* *post* *on X shows smoke rising from a location purportedly in El Geneina, allegedly due to the burning of shelter centers in the city. It was captured by Sudanese Archive on July 7, 2024.*

The following day, April 28, 2023, a Facebook account posted news of shelters that had been burned, including the Ministry of Education's shelter center and the Dar Masalit School.

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.

On the night of April 29, 2023, Benjamin Strick posted on X an annotated satellite image showing fire damage at several locations in El Geneina, including the Ministry of Education and Dar Masalit School shelters; the satellite image from Planet Labs PBC was dated April 28, 2023.

*A screenshot from Benjamin Strick's* *post* shows locations reportedly affected by burning in El Geneina as of April 28, 2023. The white squares from the original source indicate the locations of burn marks, and the blue squares mark the Ministry of Education shelter at coordinates 13.434453, 22.442497 and the Dar Masalit School shelter at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733. Sudanese Archive superimposed the blue markings indicating shelters on the image, which was captured on July 7, 2024.

Satellite images of El Geneina from NASA FIRMS show heat signatures for April 25, 2023, while these signatures were absent on April 24, 26, and 27. This suggests that the fires at the shelters likely occurred on April 25, 2023.

*At the top is a satellite image from ArcGIS dated May 17, 2023. At the bottom are satellite images from* *NASA FIRMS* showing thermal indicators for areas including the Dar Masalit School shelter at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733, and the Ministry of Education shelter at coordinates 13.434453, 22.442497, from April 24 to 27, 2023. The red markings indicate heat signatures detected by FIRMS. These images were captured and annotated by Sudanese Archive on March 6, 2024.

Geographic Locations

Photos, videos, and satellite images indicate that the Ministry of Education and Dar Masalit School shelters were subjected to burning.

Impact Location 1: Ministry of Education Shelter

Coordinates: 13.434453, 22.442497

A video posted on Facebook on May 1, 2023, which shows the aftermath of the fire at the Ministry of Education shelter (from 01:56 onwards), can be used to confirm its location. Sudanese Archive created a panoramic image from the video for comparison with satellite images.

*At the top is a panoramic image from a Facebook* *video* showing the Ministry of Education shelter. At the bottom is a satellite image from Google Earth Pro dated April 19, 2023, at coordinates 13.434187, 22.442796. The panorama was compiled and annotations added by Sudanese Archive to images captured on February 29, 2024.

The Ministry of Education shelter is surrounded within a one-kilometer radius by the police headquarters, located approximately 400 meters from the shelter, and several other government facilities that were converted into temporary shelters and burned during the same timeframe.

A satellite image from Google Earth Pro dated April 19, 2023, shows the Ministry of Education shelter (white square) at coordinates 13.434453, 22.442497, and the police headquarters (blue square) at coordinates 13.434273, 22.438888. Nearby shelters are marked in red, including at the El Geneina Local Administration, the Ministry of Development, Dar Masalit School, Al-Burhaniya Square, the Ministry of Social Development, and the Ministry of Urban Planning. Annotations by Sudanese Archive on the image captured on February 26, 2024.

Impact Location 2: Dar Masalit School Shelter

Coordinates: 13.434232, 22.439733

Although no images or videos of the Dar Masalit School shelter burning were found in online content, social media reports state and satellite images confirm that it was affected by fire in the same incident.

*A satellite image from* *ESRI World Imagery Wayback* dated May 17, 2023, shows the Dar Masalit School shelter (light blue square) at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733, showing burn damage. Annotation added to image captured by Sudanese Archive on July 7, 2024.

Destruction

A video posted on Facebook on May 1, 2023, shows the damage at the Ministry of Education shelter, including burned pallets, furniture, trees, and vehicles, as well as fire damage to the stone buildings and the shelter’s wall.

Screenshots from a Facebook video show fire damage to trees, pallets, and stone buildings, a burnt car and motorcycle, and burnt furniture at the Ministry of Education shelter. These screenshots were captured and compiled by Sudanese Archive on March 6, 2024.

Sudanese Archive was unable to obtain footage of the Dar Masalit School shelter before or after the fire. However, to illustrate the impact of the fire on both the Ministry of Education and Dar Masalit School shelters, a satellite image from ESRI World Imagery Wayback dated May 17, 2023, shows extensive fire damage and destruction of tents and temporary structures at both locations, while the stone buildings were affected by the fire but did not collapse.

On the right is a satellite image from ESRI World Imagery Wayback dated May 17, 2023, showing the fire damage at the Dar Masalit School shelter at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733, and the Ministry of Education shelter at coordinates 13.434453, 22.442497 (the two light blue squares). On the left is a satellite image from ESRI World Imagery Wayback dated March 29, 2022, showing the same locations before the incident. Both images were captured by Sudanese Archive on July 7, 2024.

Additionally, a Google Earth satellite image from April 12, 2024, shows the aftermath of the fires at both shelters, with no tents or temporary structures visible, indicating that the displaced residents have not returned to these locations.

A satellite image from Google Earth Pro on April 12, 2024, showing the aftermath of fires at the Dar Masalit School shelter at coordinates 13.434232, 22.439733 and the Ministry of Education shelter at coordinates 13.434453, 22.442497 (the two light blue squares). Annotated and captured by Sudanese Archive on July 7, 2024.

Conclusion

Based on the detailed information above, it can be confirmed that the shelters at the Ministry of Education and Dar Masalit School in El Geneina were burned, leading to their near-total destruction, and implying that the residents were displaced. Initial reports, and analysis of images, videos and satellite imagery state that the shelters were 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 Ministry of Education and Dar Masalit School shelter centers.

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 the Dar Masalit School and Ministry of Education Shelter Centers

Table Of Contents

INVESTIGATIONS