Sudanese paramilitary RSF accused of killing almost 300 people in village raids

According to Sudanese activists, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group in Sudan, have killed almost 300 individuals in assaults in North Kordofan state that started on Saturday. The RSF has been battling the Sudanese military in the region, a critical frontline in the civil war in Sudan that has persisted since April 2023.

The human rights organization Emergency Lawyers stated on Monday that the RSF assaulted multiple villages on Saturday near the city of Bara, which is under paramilitary control.

The organization reported that over 200 individuals lost their lives in the village of Shag Alnom, while 46 people, including pregnant women and children, were killed in Hilat Hamid. Raids to loot other villages resulted in the deaths of 38 civilians, with many more individuals unaccounted for, it stated.

More than 3,400 people have fled the recent fighting, according to the UN.

Emergency Lawyers said: “It has been proven that these targeted villages were completely empty of any military objectives, which makes clear the criminal nature of these crimes carried out in complete disregard of international humanitarian law.” It placed the responsibility with the RSF’s leadership.

The military has established strong control over central and eastern Sudan, while the RSF aims to solidify its dominance in the western areas, including North Kordofan. Clashes between the RSF and the army resumed this month in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, following several weeks of calm.

In the clashes last Friday that endured for hours, the RSF seized a livestock market, a prison, and a military base in El Fasher and moved into the city’s center. The following day, the Sudanese army expelled the paramilitary group, but RSF units persisted in bombarding the city with drones.

El Fasher, the biggest city in Darfur and a stronghold for the Sudanese army, remains the final significant city in the Darfur area not controlled by the RSF. This year, it has seen increasing violence as the Sudanese army clashes with RSF forces. Since April, hundreds of thousands have escaped the city to the nearby area of Tawila.

A report published earlier this month by Médecins Sans Frontières revealed consistent patterns of violence, including theft, mass murders, sexual assault, kidnappings, starvation, and assaults on markets, healthcare centers, and other civilian infrastructures in El Fasher.

The UN has raised alarms about deteriorating conditions in Sudan, especially in El Fasher, where food and clean water are severely lacking. The RSF is accused of war crimes and violent looting, though its leadership claims accountability. The ongoing civil war has caused widespread hunger, disease, and displacement, with a potential worsening of the situation during the rainy season.