Life in Nyala… Where Death Means Leaving the Suffering Behind
Sudan Events – Agencies
Many of the reports emerging from areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—where the militia imposes its own laws and full authority—are conflicting and unreliable. It is often impossible to determine whether they come from real individuals with genuine sources or from RSF media rooms that work tirelessly to circulate false information, only to deny it after Sudanese media repeat it. This has become a familiar tactic throughout the war: fabricated stories about tribal conflicts, the assassination of a senior figure, or the army entering an area it never reached. These patterns have long defined the militia’s approach to manufacturing and recycling rumors.
What makes the situation even more complicated is the extreme difficulty of accessing accurate information from cities like Nyala, Ed Daein, Kutum, Zalingei, Geneina, El Fasher, and Babnousa today. Some organizations have released reports, but most offer only broad descriptions of the situation and fail to capture the daily realities of people living there.
A recent report about Babnousa, for instance, noted that around one hundred families were detained on accusations that their relatives belonged to the army. According to the Sudanese Doctors Network, these families—including women and children—were subjected to serious violations and atrocities, amid ongoing interrogations to determine the whereabouts of their relatives. The militia also arrested other families to extort money in exchange for their release. This was particularly striking because the population in that area largely consists of ethnic groups considered supportive of the militia.
To gain clearer insights into what is happening in Nyala and surrounding areas—now under RSF control—we spoke through media messaging with a resident who has remained in the city over the past year. For his safety and that of his family, we will call him Imad. He says: “Things have deteriorated drastically. Life in Nyala and its outskirts has become extremely difficult. Now, even suspicion—just suspicion—is enough to put you under the militia’s fire.”
He adds: “Last year and the year before, the situation was better. Trucks used to arrive from central regions and Khartoum carrying everything—from food supplies to household items, electronics, even cars. Everything was sold at cheap prices. Believe it or not, tomatoes were more expensive than a full-automatic washing machine.”
But over time, everything changed.
“Life became extremely hard. There are no services, no resources, no jobs. Institutions shut down, salaries stopped, and everyone became prey to the black market, looted goods, fuel selling, and smuggling. Those who couldn’t find income within this chaos had to survive on scraps.”
He continues: “Even the soldiers who were here over the past two years have disappeared. I don’t know where they went. They were replaced by fighters from neighboring countries who now control the city. They impose levies and openly rob people—even in front of the police, or whatever they call themselves, who are entirely under the command of these mercenaries.”
When asked about the newly formed local authorities, he replies: “I don’t know where they are. I think they fear for their lives. We only saw them in the early days, then they vanished. I don’t believe they have any power over these invaders who have taken full control of the city. There are areas no civilian can enter—areas even RSF fighters are barred from—because the army constantly targets them.”
He adds: “All goods are under their control. They decide everything. You can’t even express an opinion. The response would be your death—and this happens every day. They take your wife and marry her off to one of their fighters on the same day. No one can refuse or object, not even RSF members from Nyala. If they speak up, they’re killed or thrown in prison.”
“We can only leave the city for nearby villages with a permit—and return with a permit. We pay money just to avoid being killed or arrested. The situation is brutal. It’s normal to see European and other foreign mercenaries roaming the city in armored vehicles. No one can question them—not even RSF officers. These mercenaries inhabit the restricted areas civilians can’t approach.”
The fuel situation, he says, is catastrophic: “The city is suffering from unprecedented fuel shortages. There is no fuel at all. Life has come to a standstill. Services collapsed, movement stopped. The price of a gallon of gasoline reached a shocking level. The fuel crisis has deepened the chaos.”
On the currency used in the city, he says: “Sudanese pounds are the most common, along with the dollar.”
He concludes: “This is the rule of fear and terror. No one is safe. I left and stayed for months in a village near Nyala. It’s the same there—no services, no hospitals, no healthcare, no safety, no work. Here, death simply means you’ve escaped your suffering.”
