Could Darfur be on the brink of another genocide? A report by the human rights organization Human Rights Watch details the extent of violence in Sudan, criticizing global inaction as “inexcusable.”
Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies of ethnic cleansing in the Sudanese region of West Darfur. The organization’s report, released on Thursday, is based on interviews with eyewitnesses and analysis of photos and videos.
According to HRW, the scale of violence raises concerns that the RSF aims to eliminate a significant portion of the Massalit ethnic group in West Darfur, potentially indicating a genocide.
The RSF has been engaged in conflict with Sudanese government forces for over a year. Their commander, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemeti, is locked in a power struggle with Sudan’s de facto leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, with whom he once staged a coup.
Over the past twelve months, the conflict has triggered the world’s largest refugee crisis, with over eight million people displaced according to the United Nations.
The RSF, along with allied Arab militias, reportedly targeted Massalit villages in El Geneina, West Darfur, from April to June 2023. Further violence erupted in early November, including incidents of rape, torture, and looting.
One massacre described in the report occurred on June 15, where RSF fighters allegedly opened fire on a convoy of fleeing Massalit civilians. RSF fighters pursued and shot men, women, and children attempting to escape, with many drowning while trying to cross the Kajja River.
A 17-year-old witness recounted the killing of twelve children and five adults from several families. RSF fighters reportedly separated parents from their children, shooting them when they screamed, before killing the children and disposing of their bodies in the river.
Currently, clashes are intensifying around Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, the last major city in Darfur under government control. Hundreds of thousands have sought refuge there, with satellite imagery showing over two dozen villages destroyed in recent weeks.
Experts, diplomats, and aid organizations warn of an imminent battle for control of the city, fearing a potential massacre with tens of thousands of casualties.
Hala al-Karib from the Women’s Initiative for Gender Justice in the Horn of Africa expressed deep concern for women in the network and residents of the Zamzam refugee camp, located about twelve kilometers from Al-Fashir.
Given the violence in West Darfur, Human Rights Watch calls for a new UN mission to protect civilians and sanctions, deeming global inaction in the face of such atrocities “inexcusable,” according to Tirana Hassan, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch.
