In a shocking revelation, a new report by Human Rights Watch has uncovered a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias against Masalit and other non-Arab civilians in West Darfur state in 2023. The report describes the atrocities as some of the worst committed against civilians since the outbreak of Sudan’s war last year.
According to the report, men, adolescent boys, children, and women were all targeted during the attacks, with fighters carrying out rapes and killings. One survivor, Malik, recounted a harrowing experience of witnessing RSF forces killing children and their parents before throwing their bodies into a river.
The total number of casualties is unknown, but UN experts estimate that up to 15,000 civilians were killed in El Geneina, with over half a million mostly Masalit people fleeing to Chad and living in refugee camps. The situation has prompted Human Rights Watch to call for a new civilian protection mission to be deployed to Darfur and for the UN Security Council to impose targeted sanctions against those responsible for the crimes.
Sudan’s war has already displaced nearly 9 million people, with over 2 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries. The country is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with widespread hunger and violence gripping large parts of the nation. The international community is urged to take immediate action to address the ongoing atrocities and provide support to those affected by the conflict.