Witnesses and human rights organizations have reported that at least 1,300 people, mostly belonging to the Massalit tribe, were killed in a new massacre in Sudan's West Darfur. The killings were allegedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allied Arab militias after the RSF expelled Sudanese soldiers from a military base. The RSF and militias have been accused of committing atrocities against the Massalit community, including killing, raping women, looting, and torching homes. The death toll is believed to be higher, and the ethnic-based attacks are ongoing, with Arab militias tracking and ambushing civilians trying to flee the country. The United Nations and other international organizations have condemned the attack and promised to investigate.
Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militias have been accused of executing dozens of people and destroying a town in West Darfur, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The attack on Misterei resulted in the summary execution of at least 28 ethnic Massalit, as well as the killing and injuring of numerous civilians. The RSF fighters, supported by Arab militias, targeted non-Arab communities, committing what HRW describes as war crimes. The conflict in Sudan has escalated, with widespread violence and reports of atrocities in West Darfur. HRW has called for an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and for sanctions against RSF and Arab militia leaders.
The killing of a regional governor in Sudan has raised concerns that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is aiding in ethnic cleansing in West Darfur. Arab militias and the RSF have reportedly targeted displacement camps, killed people attempting to escape to Chad, kidnapped and raped women, and executed influential figures in the community. Witnesses have reported corpses lying on the streets for days and over 1,100 people have died so far. The UN Refugee Agency reports that over 115,000 refugees have escaped from West Darfur to Chad. The International Criminal Court could potentially prosecute perpetrators for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Clashes between Sudan's military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue despite a ceasefire, with scores killed in "deadly ethnic clashes" in West Darfur's capital city El Geneina. The situation across Sudan has deteriorated, with shortages of vital water and food supplies, and reports of widespread looting, with hospitals being targeted. The conflict has left many Sudanese people trapped without electricity, food or water, desperately seeking a way to escape.
