The civil war in Sudan has raged for several months, and unfortunately, it is civilians who are paying the heaviest price. The abuses committed by the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia are truly terrifying. Ethnic violence, rapes, torture, expropriations, the horrors are increasing in the country.
In the capital, Khartoum, as well as in the neighboring towns of Omdurman and Bahri, the RSF reign supreme and install terror in the streets. The videos circulating demonstrate this in a shocking way. We see civilians arbitrarily arrested, humiliated, accused without any proof of collaborating with the army. Residents’ homes were not spared, with brutal requisitions and systematic looting.
Mohammad Gamal, one of our Observers, was lucky to survive a similar situation. While he faced six long hours of abuse, accusations and humiliation, he managed to keep his calm and escape unscathed. Unfortunately, many were not so lucky and were forced to flee their homes, losing everything they owned.
The violence is not limited to Khartoum, it also spills over into Darfur, a region already affected by decades of ethnic violence. Clashes between African militias and the FSR are wreaking havoc, with mass massacres and an increasingly obvious ethnic dimension. The militiamen, formerly known as the Janjaweed, are accused of committing genocide against African tribes.
The assassination of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdallah Abakar was a tragic turning point in the conflict. This led to an escalation of violence and even more terrible massacres. Civilians trying to flee were killed en masse, accentuating the ethnic cleansing undertaken by the militias. The videos shared on social media are unbearable, but they bear witness to the reality of these atrocities.
Beyond physical violence, women are also victims of sexual violence, used as a weapon of war. Regular army soldiers and RSF militiamen are involved in these heinous crimes. Unfortunately, many women remain silent, for fear of reprisals or lack of support structures to support them.
This civil war in Sudan is a true tragedy, and it is essential not to ignore the suffering of the civilians who are the first victims. It is important to continue to document and denounce these abuses in order to one day hope to put an end to these horrors.