Khartoum (Khartum): Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly killed at least 124 people in a village in El Gezira State on Friday, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the ongoing 18-month conflict and the largest in a recent series of attacks in the region. Following the surrender of high-ranking RSF officer Abuagla Keikal to the army last Sunday, pro-democracy activists allege that the RSF has launched revenge attacks in the farming state where he hails from, resulting in civilian deaths, detentions, and the displacement of thousands.
The region has faced a months-long onslaught, with residents informing Reuters that the RSF has looted homes, killed numerous civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands. Al-Sireha village, located in the northern part of the state, suffered the brunt of the violence, with at least 124 fatalities and around 100 injuries reported from the RSF raid, according to the Wad Madani Resistance Committee, a pro-democracy group.
In a statement on Friday, the RSF accused the army of arming civilians in Gezira and of using forces under Keikal’s command, which it claims prompted the recent attacks. Both the army and the RSF have not responded to requests for comment.
The RSF has gained control over large parts of Sudan amid a conflict with the army, leading the United Nations to characterize the situation as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Over 11 million people have been displaced due to the war, which has driven many regions into extreme hunger or famine and attracted foreign powers providing support to both sides.
The conflict erupted in April 2023 when tensions between the RSF and the army, who had previously shared power, turned violent at a time when Sudan was expected to transition to civilian rule following a 2021 coup.
“The RSF militia is raiding east, west, and central Gezira, and committing extensive massacres in one village after another,” the committee reported.
Images circulating on social media, shared by the committee and others, allegedly depict dozens of bodies prepared for burial and mass graves being excavated. The Sudanese Doctors Union stated, “The people of Gezira are facing genocide by the Rapid Support Forces, and it is impossible to treat the injured or even evacuate them for treatment. Those who have left on foot have died or are faced with death,” urging for safe passage for those in need.
A video circulating on social media purportedly shows an RSF soldier in Sireha filming troops who lined up men of all ages at gunpoint, using racial slurs and forcing them to bleat like goats. Another video shared by the resistance committee depicted an RSF soldier forcibly pulling an elderly man to his feet by his beard. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of these videos.
Sudan’s Combating Violence Against Women Unit, a government entity, reported that RSF soldiers have allegedly raped women in Gezira villages as a tactic to humiliate men and drive people from the area.
Keikal’s defection occurred amid the army’s renewed efforts to reclaim territory across the country. Sudanese army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stated on X late Friday that with each civilian life lost, the determination of the Sudanese people to resist the RSF grows stronger. However, his comments drew criticism as many accused the army of failing to protect civilians in Gezira and elsewhere.
The RSF faces accusations from the United States and other nations of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing, particularly in West Darfur. The army is similarly accused of war crimes due to extensive airstrikes that have resulted in high civilian casualties without effectively pushing the RSF back.
“We are monitoring the latest, shocking RSF attacks on civilians in Gezira. The killings and sexual violence are reprehensible,” U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello stated on X, adding that both the RSF and the army have failed to protect civilians.
