KEY POINTS
- Over 73 people have died under siege in al-Hilaliya.
- Residents face illness amid blocked internet and scarce resources.
- Satellite images show rising death tolls and field burnings.
At least 73 people have died from mysterious causes in the Sudanese town of al-Hilaliya, which remains under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese Doctors Union said Wednesday.
Dozens die from mysterious illness under paramilitary siege in Sudan
Al-Hilaliya is one of several villages attacked in eastern El Gezira state following the defection of a senior RSF commander to the Sudanese army, leading to a wave of retaliatory strikes that have displaced more than 135,000 people. The ongoing conflict between the RSF and the army has created a humanitarian crisis, displacing over 11 million people and heightening fears of state collapse.
While other areas of Gezira have experienced high death tolls from RSF shelling and gunfire, residents in al-Hilaliya have reportedly fallen ill with diarrhea, overwhelming the town’s hospital, according to the doctors’ union and local sources. An RSF-enforced network blackout has hampered efforts to identify the cause of the illness.
One resident told Reuters that three of his family members died from the illness, though he only learned of their deaths days later when others fled to areas with internet access. Another resident reported that people wishing to leave must pay high fees at RSF checkpoints.
Siege linked to RSF defector’s family roots in al-Hilaliya
According to pro-democracy activists, the siege of al-Hilaliya began on Oct. 29 when the RSF raided the town, killing five people and confining others in three mosques. Al-Hilaliya, once a stable trade hub with a population of around 50,000, is home to family members of defected RSF commander Abuagla Keikal, which locals believe may have led to the attack.
Witnesses reported that the town’s markets and warehouses were looted. Satellite imagery from the Yale Humanitarian Lab shows expanded cemeteries in Gezira towns since the latest round of attacks began in late October, as well as evidence of burned agricultural fields in the nearby village of Azrag.
