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Saturday, 16 November 2024
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Continual Violence in Sudan: 23 Civilians Reportedly Killed by Rapid Support Forces
الحرب الاهلية في السودان \ تعبيرية \ متداول

Local Sudanese reports on Saturday indicated that 23 citizens were killed in a village in the Gezira State by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), amid ongoing accusations against the group, which has been engaged in a conflict with the army since April 2023 and consistently denies targeting civilians.  

A statement from the "Gezira Conference," a civil entity formed following the RSF's takeover of the Gezira State in central Sudan last December, reported that the RSF "killed 23 citizens in the village of Al-Latouh Al-Hujjaj in the rural locality of Kamlin in Gezira State."  

The statement further claimed that the RSF is "holding residents inside the village mosque while ongoing acts of looting and pillaging of citizens' properties have affected food supplies in storage."  

The civilian entity asserted that "around 5,000 individuals have been killed in Gezira State since the RSF invaded in December of last year until the current month of November."  

The RSF has repeatedly denied allegations of civilian targeting in areas under its control, asserting that its operations are directed against armed groups loyal to the army.  

In a related development, the Sudanese army announced that it repelled an attack by the RSF on the outskirts of the city of El Fasher on Friday. The military stated that it employed "artillery and airpower, destroying six fully equipped combat vehicles and resulting in the deaths of over 80 RSF fighters, with more than 150 others injured."   

On Saturday, a state of cautious calm prevailed in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, following the violent clashes that occurred on Friday.  

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the recent RSF attacks in the Gezira State on November 1, calling for a ceasefire to protect civilians.  

Guterres issued a statement expressing his deep concern over reports indicating that "large numbers of civilians have been killed, detained, and displaced, and that incidents of sexual violence have been perpetrated against women and girls, as homes and markets have been looted and farms burned."