.jpg)
WED 15 JUL - Children were raped, civilians executed at point-blank range, and people gunned down as they tried to flee. These are just a handful of the harrowing testimonies released in the latest investigation into massacres by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher last October.
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan (FFM) last week published a follow-up to a February report that found RSF attacks during the takeover of El Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide”.
“Acts of rape were carried out openly, repeatedly and in full view of others, with perpetrators demonstrating no fear of consequences,” the latest report said.
It comes amid renewed fighting and ethnic targeting in North Darfur that one civilian told Avaaz is having a “devastating” impact on the local population.
The report includes new testimony from survivors of the attacks collected over a total of 333 interviews.
It said that, as in the first report, survivors “consistently spoke of widespread killings, including indiscriminate shootings and point-blank executions of civilians”.
Civilians were targeted in “homes, in trenches and public buildings where they were hiding, in market areas, near the airport fence, in open areas or while attempting to flee the city”, it said.
It said it had received further evidence of “widespread, systematic and coordinated acts of rape… primarily targeted at women and girls from non-Arab communities, particularly the Zaghawa”.
During attacks on the Saudi Hospital, located in one of the last parts of the city taken by the RSF, survivors described members of the group “raping numerous women after storming wards, killing wounded and sick people and civilians who had sought refuge inside”.
One woman told the mission her husband’s throat had been slit after he tried to intervene to stop her from being raped.
Several witnesses described sexual violence against girls as young as 12.
The report said sexual violence in Sudan had “long been enabled by a climate of impunity” but that the events in El Fasher reflected a “clear escalation”.
“The absence of accountability appears to have normalized rape within the Rapid Support Forces modus operandi, where sexual violence functioned as a tolerated, permitted, systematic, and integrated practice of war.”
It concluded that the “only reasonable inference” to be drawn from the reported atrocities, combined with footage of statements by RSF leadership, is that the group “acted with genocidal intent” during the takeover, reinforcing the findings of its original report.
Recent weeks have seen renewed clashes following an offensive launched by the Joint Forces, a coalition of armed groups allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), into RSF territory in West Darfur.
The fall of El Fasher gave the RSF control over every state capital in Darfur and most of the remaining region, but the Joint Forces retain control of some areas along the Chad border, particularly around the North Darfur town of Tine.
In late June, they captured the border town of Kulbus, a key node for RSF supplies crossing into Sudan from Chad, but on Friday reportedly withdrew ahead of an expected ground assault.
On Thursday, they briefly took the town of Abu Saruj - which sits around 40km north of El Geneina, capital of West Darfur and a major stronghold for the RSF - but open source reporting suggested it too was recaptured the following day.
Earlier this month, at least six villages inhabited by the Zaghawa - an ethnic group historically targeted by the RSF - were attacked and razed by the RSF amid the fighting, according to reports.
Speaking to Avaaz on Tuesday, Jamal*, a resident of Kulbus, said the town had been left “almost empty” following the clashes.
“I would estimate that around 80% of the population has left. Many have fled to Chad, while others, including myself, have just fled into nearby villages,” he said.
At least 6,000 people were displaced following the initial offensive on Kulbus, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“The recent fighting has had a devastating impact,” said Jamal. “When the army [SAF] entered the town, many residents were accused of collaborating with the RSF.
“Now that the RSF has returned, they are doing the same thing. Several traders have been detained and accused of cooperating with the enemy.
“As civilians, we are forced to deal with whichever force takes control of the area. We have no choice. There has also been violence against civilians based on ethnicity.
“The RSF treats many people in Kulbus as if they are its enemies, even though their war is with the army, not with us.
“Whoever controls Kulbus can influence a large part of West Darfur and the surrounding areas. That is why both sides are fighting so hard over it."
Jamal said RSF fighters in and around Kulbus stole 91 cattle and other livestock from local civilians.
“For many of these families, the cattle were their only source of income and [way to] support their children,” he said.
“There is no stability. People continue to move from place to place in search of safety. Food is difficult to find, and when it is available, it is far too expensive for most families.”
At least seven areas of North Darfur continue to face a “credible risk of famine”, according to the latest assessment from the Famine Early Warnings System Network (FEWS NET).
The monitor warned that shortages were being driven by conflict-driven displacement, disrupted livelihoods, and a lack of access for both trade and humanitarian aid.
The war has seen repeated instances of aid convoys being destroyed in drone strikes and both sides accused of deliberately withholding aid to some of the worst-affected areas.
FEWS NET said some areas of northwestern and central North Darfur were already seeing acute malnutrition rates among children of 30%, one of three conditions - along with extreme hunger in 20% of households and daily excess mortality above two per 10,000 people - required for a declaration of famine in a given area.
It said below-average rains were also expected to hinder crop yields, exacerbating shortages, and that if conflict continued to block the movement of goods and people then indicators would “likely surpass” famine thresholds, while broader food insecurity would continue to spread.
The crisis is not isolated to Darfur. A similar risk of famine persists in the South Kordofan cities of Dilling and Kadugli, which have been under siege or partial siege for much of the time since the early months of the war.
The leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been sentenced to death in absentia over alleged atrocities committed by his forces in West Darfur.
A counter-terrorism court convicted Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity over killings in the city of El Geneina in 2023.
Fifteen other RSF figures and allies were also sentenced to death after being tried in absentia, Sudan War Monitor reports.
Among them were Hemedti’s older brother and deputy, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, as well as a younger brother, Algoney Hamdan “Al-Qoni” Dagalo, believed to be responsible for the RSF’s weapons procurement.
Hemedti and his two brothers were sentenced to die by hanging.
Also reportedly convicted was Abdalmonim Alrabea, a British citizen based in the UK who, according to the Guardian, has appeared in hundreds of online videos expressing support for the RSF.
Tasis - an RSF-led alliance attempting to establish a parallel government in areas under its control - told BBC News the trial was a "sham" that "does not even deserve a comment".
The killings in Geneina saw members of the Masalit ethnic group targeted by the RSF and allied militia during fighting for control of the city in the months following the outbreak of the war in April 2023.
In total, between 10,000 and 15,000 people are believed to have been killed, according to a report by the UN Panel of Experts.
Among them was Khamis Abakar, the governor of West Darfur and a prominent Masalit, who was abducted and killed after a televised interview in which he accused the RSF of “genocide” and called for the international community to intervene.
The European Union has agreed new sanctions targeting Sudanese gold, believed to be one of the key commodities financing both sides of the conflict.
A ban will be introduced on the purchase, import, or transfer of gold originating in Sudan as well as the supply of mercury and cyanide, both used in gold production, to Sudan.
The change also includes bans on the provision of services related to gold production, such as technical or financial assistance, as well exemptions for goods used in humanitarian work and crisis response.
“The measures are designed to curb sources of financing for the conflict and further increase pressure on those fuelling the war,” the European Council said in a statement.
It remains unclear how effective the sanctions will be in stopping Sudanese gold from ending up in European markets.
Much of the gold produced in Sudan is believed to be smuggled out of the country to hubs like the UAE before being refined, a process that makes its geographical origin very difficult to trace.
The sanctions follow a landmark resolution from the European Parliament last week that, for the first time, named the UAE in relation to its role in the war.
The UAE has long been accused of providing financial, military, and diplomatic support to the RSF, allegations it has denied.
The resolution condemned “all external interference fuelling the war” and urged “all states, including the UAE, to cease financing, arms supply or other support of the RSF”.
It also called on the European Union to consider designating the RSF a terrorist organisation.
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.
To get this briefing in your inbox each week, sign up here.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have taken control of a strategic road linking capital Khartoum with El Obeid, opening a key supply route for the first time since the start of the war and delivering a major setback to reported attempts by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to bring the city under siege.
At least 22 civilians have been killed in attacks believed to have been carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a strategic town in North Kordofan, according to reports.
Avaaz Foundation
110 Golden Lane | London, England, EC1Y 0TG
1330 6th Avenue, Suite 23A | New York, NY 10019, USA
.svg)
