As more proof of widespread killings in the strategic area came to light, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and Jordan have condemned the abuses committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during their capture of the Sudanese city of El-Fasher.
The researchers at Yale University said on Tuesday that the RSF moved in and that the images of el-Fasher, which included large areas of red discoloration on the ground, were revealed.
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Since 2023, the RSF has been at war with Sudan’s army, waging a bloody civil war against the army that has resulted in the displacement of more than 12 million people.
After 17 months of siege, the paramilitary force finally overran El-Fasher, the army’s final stronghold in Darfur.
Aid organizations claim they have received reliable reports of atrocities, including summary executions, attacks on civilians along escape routes, and house-to-house raids, according to the Sudanese government, while at least 2, 000 people have died in the city since then.
According to them, sexual violence, particularly against girls and women, was also reported in the city.
El-Fasher’s fall leaves the RSF with almost complete control over the vast Darfur region, which has sparked concerns about a further Sudan split, more than ten years after South Sudan was established.
regional alarm
Regional governments have been alarmed by the developments.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia called on the RSF to fulfill their duty to protect Sudanese civilians and expressed “deep concern and condemnation of the grave human rights violations.”
Egypt, which shares a border with Sudan, reiterated its ongoing commitment to “providing all possible support to help” the neighboring nation get out of its current crisis, as well as “possible measures being taken to achieve an immediate humanitarian truce across Sudan.”
According to the Anadolu news agency, Turkiye urged “safe passage, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and an end to attacks on innocent civilians” while also calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities in El-Fasher.
Additionally, it “highlighted the importance of dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the conflict” and “condamned the “atrocities committed against civilians by el-Fasher.”
Qatar also blasted the “horrific violations” committed in El-Fasher and demanded dialogue to end the crisis.
Cairo reaffirmed its “strong support for the unity, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Sudan,” saying it would not allow “any attempts to divide the nation or denigrate its unity and territorial cohesion.”
Jordan joined the chorus of concern by condemning the acts of civilians and urging the government to “implement a ceasefire and restraint” to protect civilian lives.
The RSF has not responded to the allegations made against it.
The Janjaweed, a infamous government-backed/linked militia that carried out genocide during the Darfur conflict in the 2000s, is what led to the formation of the paramilitary force. In addition, the US has claimed that the RSF and its allies have carried out a genocide during the current conflict.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the cessation of foreign military support for the warring parties in comments made in Malaysia on Monday.
According to a UN spokesman, “the problem is not only the fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, but also the growing external interference that severely limits the chances for a ceasefire and a political solution.”
The Sudanese government and human rights organizations have repeatedly accused the United Arab Emirates of being involved in the war by providing weapons to the RSF, a claim the Gulf nation has refuted.
unprecedented violence
A separate report from the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab, which relied on satellite imagery that claimed RSF forces were “conducting alleged mass killings” after seizing el-Fasher, was released on Tuesday.
The lab identified a number of scenes in El-Fasher’s Daraja Oula neighborhood using images from Airbus that were taken on Monday.
In formations that resembled roadblocks, they placed what appeared to be gun-mounted trucks, known as “technicals” in the streets.
At least five instances of reddish earth discoloration are found near RSF vehicles, according to the report, which exhibits images that are comparable to human bodies.
The violence in el-Fasher was unheard of, according to executive director Nathaniel Raymond of Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab.
“The scale is enormous, from the earthen berm to the wall that now surrounds El-Fasher to particular neighborhoods like Daraja Oula to hospitals and humanitarian facilities.” According to him, “we are seeing objects that measure between 1.5 and 2 meters [5 to 6.5 feet], which is the standard length of a human body, lying horizontal, as seen in satellite imagery at high resolution,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Those things didn’t exist 36 to 48 hours ago. They now “destroy” the city.
Raymond claimed that the atrocities weren’t unexpected.
The Humanitarian Research Lab and numerous other coworkers in Darfur, particularly the local response community, have warned about this campaign of mass killings for months, he said.
The researcher speculated that the killings were just a start for what might happen in Darfur and the North Kordofan province as RSF forces shift to the east after the death of el-Fasher.
In its report, the Humanitarian Research Lab claimed that the RSF’s actions “may be in line with war crimes and crimes against humanity (CAH)” and “may lead to genocide.”
Source: Aljazeera
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