Ethnic Violence in Sudan’s West Darfur Claims Thousands of Lives
A recent United Nations report has revealed the devastating toll of ethnic violence in Sudan’s West Darfur region. According to the report, between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in the city of El Geneina last year by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militia. These figures contrast with the UN’s estimate that approximately 12,000 people have been killed across Sudan since the war erupted in April 2023.
The report also highlights the alleged military support provided by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the RSF. The monitors described these accusations as “credible,” stating that the UAE had been providing military support to the RSF several times per week via Amdjarass in northern Chad. In response, the UAE claimed that it had delivered humanitarian aid to Amdjarass to assist Sudanese fleeing the war. The United Nations estimates that around 500,000 people have fled Sudan into eastern Chad, seeking refuge from the conflict.
The monitors’ report focuses on the intense violence experienced by El Geneina between April and June last year. The RSF and their allied Arab militias were accused of targeting the ethnic African Masalit tribe in attacks that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The RSF has denied these accusations, pledging to hold any soldiers involved accountable. However, the RSF did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Survivors’ accounts of the ethnically targeted violence in West Darfur align with the monitors’ findings. Reuters previously chronicled the horrific scenes of bloodshed in El Geneina and along the route to Chad as people fled. The monitors’ report includes similar testimonies, describing how women and men were separated, harassed, robbed, and physically assaulted at RSF checkpoints. The RSF and allied militias indiscriminately shot hundreds of people in the legs to prevent them from escaping. Young men identified as Masalit were summarily executed with a shot to the head, while women and children were physically and sexually assaulted. The monitors also reported widespread conflict-related sexual violence committed by the RSF and allied militia.
The report highlights three lines of support that enabled the RSF to take control of most of Darfur: Arab allied communities, complex financial networks, and new military supply lines through Chad, Libya, and South Sudan. The monitors note that the RSF used proceeds from its pre-war gold business to establish a network of up to 50 companies in various industries. Since the war began, most of the gold previously exported to the UAE is now being smuggled to Egypt.
The acquisition of new firepower by the RSF has had a significant impact on the balance of forces in Darfur and other regions of Sudan. The RSF has recently made military gains, seizing control of Wad Madani, one of Sudan’s major cities, and consolidating its grip on the western region of Darfur. In December, the United States officially determined that war crimes had been committed by warring parties in Sudan, with the RSF and allied militias also responsible for crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
The ongoing war has resulted in nearly half of Sudan’s population, approximately 7.5 million people, requiring aid. The country is facing the largest displacement crisis globally, with hunger levels on the rise. Despite numerous mediation efforts, the entrenched positions of the warring parties and competing regional interests have hindered progress in achieving a political settlement or addressing the humanitarian crisis.
The UN report sheds light on the tragic consequences of ethnic violence in Sudan’s West Darfur region. It underscores the urgent need for international intervention to bring an end to the conflict, hold those responsible accountable, and provide much-needed humanitarian assistance to the affected population. Only through concerted efforts can Sudan hope to achieve lasting peace and stability.