KEY POINTS
- Thousands fled on foot to nearby towns.
- RSF was accused of burning crops and looting villages.
- Survivors report sexual violence and brutal killings.
Salwa Abdallah was recovering from a cesarean section and caring for her 1-month-old baby when soldiers from the Rapid Support Forces stormed her home in Sudan’s eastern El Gezira state late last month.
Civilians accused of army loyalty face attacks
They accused her of supporting the army, their rivals in an 18-month war. “They said, ‘You killed us, so today we’ll kill you and rape your girls,’” she told Reuters, now sheltering in New Halfa after walking for days with her elderly mother and children. She said the soldiers chased them out with whips and later shot at them from motorcycles. Two other victims confirmed similar accounts.
Reuters spoke to 13 victims of raids in eastern Gezira over the past two weeks, affecting at least 65 villages and towns, according to activists.
According to the United Nations, about 135,000 people have fled their homes, mostly to the states of Kassala, Gedaref, and the River Nile—regions that are already under stress due to the war, which started in April 2023.
U.N. condemns atrocities repeating from Darfur
“I am shocked and deeply appalled that human rights violations like those seen in Darfur last year are being repeated in El Gezira state. These are atrocious crimes,” said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the U.N.’s top official in Sudan, referring to earlier ethnic cleansing accusations.
According to Reuters, the war has caused widespread hunger, eroded government control in RSF-held areas, and raised concerns of national fragmentation. Both sides have been accused of blocking international aid.
“These people should be living safely in their villages. They are not fighters, and there is no army garrison in the area to justify RSF accusations,” said Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdallah, an army spokesperson. He accused the RSF of a resettlement campaign after its takeover of El Gezira state in December.
The Wad Madani Resistance Committee, a pro-democracy group, reported 169 people killed since violence erupted on Oct. 20, though it said the real toll is likely higher.
The U.N.’s human rights office reported at least 25 cases of sexual violence, including the death of an 11-year-old girl. It also said the RSF had confiscated internet devices in 30 villages and burned crops.
The worst incident occurred in al-Sireha, where 124 people were killed on Oct. 25, according to the committee.
