New wave of mass killings in Sudan alarms UN
A senior UN official in Sudan has expressed deep concern over reports of “atrocious crimes” in central Gezira state, including mass civilian killings by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Clementine Nkweta-Salami made her statement following reports from an activist group indicating that at least 124 civilians were killed in recent RSF attacks on villages.
The RSF has denied targeting civilians, claiming instead that its fighters are engaged in clashes with militias allegedly armed by the military.
The 18-month-long conflict in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced over 11 million people.
Gezira state became a significant battleground last week after a notable defection: RSF commander Abu Aqla Kayka joined the military, reportedly bringing “a large number of his forces” with him, marking the first high-profile shift to the army.
In response, the RSF announced it would defend itself and “deal decisively with anyone carrying arms.”
Ms. Nkweta-Salami, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, stated that preliminary findings suggest the RSF conducted extensive attacks across Gezira state between 20 and 25 October.
These assaults reportedly resulted in mass killings, sexual violence against women and girls, widespread looting of markets and homes, and the burning of farms.
Ms. Nkweta-Salami noted that these “atrocious crimes” resemble those witnessed in Sudan’s Darfur region last year, where the RSF faced accusations of “ethnic cleansing” against communities perceived as oppositional.
While the exact death toll in Gezira remains uncertain, early reports indicate that scores of civilians were killed.
In a statement on Saturday, the Wad Madani Resistance Committee, which campaigns for an end to the conflict and democratic rule in Sudan, said the RSF was committing “extensive massacres in one village after another”, the Reuters news agency reported.
The Sudanese doctors’ union called on the UN to push the two sides in the conflict to agree to safe humanitarian corridors into villages that were facing “genocide” at the hands of the RSF.
The doctors’ union added that rescue operations had become impossible and that the army was “incapable” of protecting civilians.
The conflict in Sudan broke out in April 2023 after a fall out between the commanders of the RSF and military, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan respectively.
The two had jointly staged a coup in 2021, derailing Sudan’s transition to democracy, but then got involved in a vicious power struggle.
The two leaders have refused to sign a peace deal, despite efforts by the US and Saudi Arabia to broker an end to the conflict.
