*Residents in Nyala and Kalma describe RSF campaign of violence and intimidation*
*Widespread hunger and lack of healthcare*
*Follows group's to pledge to bring unity to areas under its control*
WED 21 MAY – Civilians living under Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control have described a government built on violence and intimidation as well as a collapsing healthcare system, skyrocketing prices, and severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.
Speaking to Avaaz, people in the South Darfur city of Nyala and the nearby Kalma camp spoke of arbitrary detentions, looting, and relentless surveillance as well as widespread malnutrition and the withdrawal of most aid groups amid safety concerns.
It follows the declaration in April of the Founding Alliance, a parallel government in RSF territory that recently appointed the group’s leader, Hemedti, as its head and SPLM-North leader Abdelaziz al-Hilu as his deputy.
The RSF has sought to portray the alliance as a step towards unity and inclusion for Sudan, but three displaced people living in Kalma who travel to Nyala for work said the claim rings hollow for those living with the reality on the ground.
“There’s no security in Nyala. None. People die every day—killed in the streets over petty fights or threats,” said Adam. “Armed men in RSF uniforms kidnap businessmen, call their families, and demand ransoms. If they don’t pay, they’re killed.”
“It’s clear RSF is building a state of its own. We know who these men are—many of them were criminals before the war. Now they wear uniforms and claim to be our protectors.”
Mohammed said public transport is routinely stopped at checkpoints so that passengers - especially young people - can be searched. “They accuse us of working with the army,” he said. “My friend was detained like that. They found nothing on his phone, but they told him they’d download fake evidence to incriminate him. He had to pay 200,000 Sudanese pounds [$330] to get out, and they still took his phone.”
Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, has been under RSF control since October 2023. Kalma is located a few miles to its east, while another displacement camp, Al Salam, sits a few miles to its south-east. Attacks by the RSF on the Zamzam displacement camp, around 100 miles to the north in North Darfur, in the second half of April saw an estimated 2,000 people newly displaced to South Darfur, according to the UN.
“Displaced people like us are worse off than city residents,” said Ahmed. “Locals are being exploited too, but at least they have some kind of footing. We have nothing—no food, no medicine, no proper healthcare.
“There’s a food crisis in the camps, especially Kalma and Al-Salam. Malnutrition is widespread, especially among children and pregnant women. Health conditions have collapsed. The Turkish Hospital in Nyala went on strike after RSF soldiers fired weapons inside the ICU.”
See the Voices From The Ground section below for the full testimonies of the civilians we spoke to in Nyala and Kalma
Elsewhere in Sudan, accusations of war crimes - including mass executions, ethnic cleansing, and systematic displacement - continue to surface from regions under RSF control. The group, which is funded and armed by the United Arab Emirates, has also intensified its military campaign, launching a wave of ground and drone attacks that have devastated towns, displacement camps, and key infrastructure over the past two months.
The latest escalation began in early April with a brutal assault on the Zamzam displacement camp, where more than 542 people were reportedly killed within three weeks, according to the United Nations. Simultaneously, ground offensives spread across Darfur—including ongoing attacks on El Fasher—and into Kordofan, with strikes reported from Al Nuhud to Alkhoi. In Alsalha, Omdurman, at least 31 civilians were executed by RSF fighters in a single day, according to local medics.
Since the start of May, RSF drone strikes have hit at least nine cities, with over 30 confirmed incidents, according to field reports. These strikes have targeted residential areas, fuel depots, and electrical facilities, crippling critical civilian infrastructure. In Port Sudan, the country’s current administrative capital, extended blackouts have persisted for weeks. Similar outages were reported in cities throughout Darfur and Kordofan.
This surge in violence appears to be a direct response to the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) retaking of Khartoum in March 2025.
Interviews available on request. Names have been changed due to safety concerns.
Three people living in the Kalma displacement camp who regularly travel to Nyala for work describe the situation on the ground.
Adam told Avaaz: “There are only three public hospitals left that are still running in the entire state—Nyala Teaching Hospital, the Specialist Hospital, and the Turkish Hospital. They’re completely overwhelmed. Healthcare workers go on strike for days at a time after RSF soldiers show up and demand treatment for their wounded. Meanwhile, regular citizens wait days—or even a full week—just to be seen. Some private hospitals are open, but no one can afford the treatment.
"There’s no security in Nyala. None. People die every day—killed in the streets over petty fights or threats. Armed men in RSF uniforms kidnap businessmen, call their families, and demand ransoms. If they don’t pay, they’re killed. I’ve seen weapons fired in the middle of markets just to intimidate people.
"Believe it or not, Kalma camp is safer than the city Nyala. At least there, people don’t walk around with guns. But the camp is also barely holding on—aid is almost gone, and those who are still there are working in fields or nearby markets to survive. There’s no infrastructure, no relief, no consistent support.
"It’s clear RSF is building a state of its own. New structures, new agencies—it’s all being set up. The people aren’t going along with it. We know who these men are—many of them were criminals before the war. Now they wear uniforms and claim to be our protectors.
"More checkpoints are popping up inside the city. Just going to work is terrifying. You don’t carry a phone. You don’t bring a bag. Even documents can get you into trouble. People have been beaten, insulted, detained over nothing.
"There’s a curfew from 6pm to 6am, but by 5pm, you already hear the gunfire. Heavy weapons, light weapons—random, terrifying. This is how we live now. Under fear, under fire, and under siege.”
Mohammed told Avaaz: “Armed groups regularly show up, claiming their livestock was stolen and demanding we pay them compensation. Our elders end up giving them replacements just to prevent attacks. It’s not safe to leave the camp. Outside, there’s a constant threat of violence, including sexual assault and even death.
"Health-wise, things are dire. Nearly all humanitarian organizations have left. Only IOM and Alight are still operating. And now we’re beginning to see the early signs of a new government taking shape around us.
"We can move between Kalma and Nyala from 5am to 6pm, but we have to pay fees that often rise in the early morning or evening. At the checkpoints, RSF soldiers stop public transport and search passengers—especially young people. They accuse us of working with the army. My friend was detained like that. They found nothing on his phone, but they told him they’d download fake evidence to incriminate him. He had to pay 200,000 Sudanese pounds to get out, and they still took his phone. These kinds of things happen all the time. That’s what the siege on Kalma and Nyala looks like.
"There’s no way to earn a living here. Most people depend on relatives outside Darfur to send money. Those who don’t have that kind of support are starving. They’re suffering. And there’s nothing to fall back on.”
Ahmed told Avaaz: “Prices are skyrocketing, and people are really struggling. Even though some markets have partially reopened, commercial activity is weak, and everything costs too much. Traveling between Kalma and Nyala is hard, especially at the inspection gates. A lot of us can’t move freely because the RSF accuses us of being linked to the army.
"And when you finally get to the city, you’re hit with more fees—unofficial ones, charged by RSF forces. They take money from traders, sometimes all of their earnings for the day, and there’s no explanation. Displaced people like us are worse off than city residents. Locals are being exploited too, but at least they have some kind of footing. We have nothing—no food, no medicine, no proper healthcare.
"There’s a food crisis in the camps, especially Kalma and Al-Salam. Malnutrition is widespread, especially among children and pregnant women. Health conditions have collapsed. The Turkish Hospital in Nyala went on strike after RSF soldiers fired weapons inside the ICU. That hospital’s been forced to shut down more than once—lack of medicines, lack of fuel. At the Teaching Hospital, the internal medicine unit is closed. And at the Specialist Hospital, the kidney dialysis center is barely functioning. They’re out of connectors, insulin, and critical liver medications like albumin. These need refrigeration, and we can’t even guarantee that.
"Most people in Nyala have no way to earn income. The war has shut down livelihoods. The markets were our last hope. Without them, people are leaving the state, looking for a place they can survive. But even that’s risky. You don’t know if you’ll make it there alive.”
The weekly dispatch features the latest developments, first-hand testimony, footage, photos, stats and analysis on Sudan. We can connect you with voices from the ground, experts and survivors of the war. Get in touch on +44 7514 796 678 or sudan@avaaz.org.
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