Fresh allegations of killings, displacement by RSF in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah

February 27, 2024 (WAD MADANI) – Multiple sources reported on Tuesday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) allegedly committed large-scale killings in the village of Sharif Mukhtar, located in Sudan’s central Al-Jazirah State.

Sharif Mukhtar, situated in southwest Al-Jazirah, had previously faced a similar attack by the RSF in December 2023, allegedly targeting vehicles.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Wad Madani Resistance Committees reported initial accounts about the killing indicating a significant but undetermined number of deaths and injuries. They also reported displacement of residents towards White Nile State and the city of Al-Manaqil, west of Al-Jazirah State.

At least 14 young men from Sharif Mukhtar were killed during a confrontation with the RSF last December when the latter reportedly raided the village for an armed robbery.

Reports suggest that RSF groups have been conducting looting operations in villages across the Al-Jazirah agricultural region. Recently, residents in these villages have reportedly begun resisting the looting and refusing to surrender their belongings.

On Tuesday, the Hasahisa Resistance Committees said that tensions arose between residents of Zubairat village and the RSF after the latter allegedly attempted to recruit 20 young men forcibly.

In a related development,  the Central Observatory for Human Rights in Sudan released a report on Tuesday, revealing that during the recent communications and internet outage in Al-Jazirah State, the RSF attacked 39 villages, resulting in the deaths of 46 civilians and injuries to 90 others.

The report acknowledges the potential for an undercount of casualties due to communication difficulties. Additionally, it details widespread looting of valuables like money, gold, phones, and agricultural equipment. Some villages also reportedly witnessed significant displacement and the detention of young people by the RSF.

Sources report displaced villagers from Al-Jazirah, mainly women, children, elderly individuals, and the sick, arriving in White Nile State and Al-Manaqil, a city west of Gezira under army control.

(ST)