A new report by United Nations experts reveals that paramilitary forces and their allied militias engaged in widespread ethnic killings and rapes while seizing power in Sudan’s western Darfur region, potentially committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The UN Security Council received a report on Thursday from The Associated Press, revealing the brutal actions of the Arab-dominated Rapid Support Forces against Africans in Darfur.
The document also outlines how the RSF managed to gain control of four out of Darfur’s five states, utilizing intricate financial networks that encompass numerous companies.
In April, Sudan was thrown into turmoil as tensions between the military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo erupted into street clashes in the capital, Khartoum.
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The conflict extended to various regions of the country, with Sudan’s Darfur area experiencing a distinct pattern: violent assaults by the RSF targeting African civilians, particularly the Masalit ethnic group.
Twenty years ago, Darfur became associated with genocide and war crimes, especially by the infamous Janjaweed Arab militias targeting populations identifying as Central or East African.
The return of a significant historical issue has been highlighted by the recent statement from the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor Karim Khan.
Darfur: RSF and Government Forces Damage Infrastructure
In late January, he mentioned the presence of potential war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide being committed in Darfur by both parties.
The ongoing conflict has led to a significant humanitarian crisis and forced around 6.8 million individuals to leave their homes – 5.4 million within Sudan and 1.4 million seeking refuge in other nations, with approximately 555,000 going to neighboring Chad, according to experts.
Both the RSF and rival Sudanese government forces have employed heavy artillery and shelling in densely populated regions, resulting in extensive damage to crucial water, sanitation, education, and health care facilities.
The experts detailed in a 47-page document how the RSF and its militias attacked locations in Darfur where displaced individuals sought refuge, civilian areas, and medical centers.
Based on information from intelligence sources, the panel stated that in Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state near the Chad border, between 10,000 and 15,000 people lost their lives.
According to experts, the prevalence of sexual violence by the RSF and its allied militia was significant.
According to credible sources in Geneina, the panel reported that women and girls as young as 14 years old were subjected to sexual assault by RSF members in various locations, including a UN.
World Food Program storage facility under their control, their homes, and while returning home after being displaced.
Furthermore, 16 girls were allegedly abducted by RSF soldiers and sexually assaulted in an RSF residence.