The Massacre of Wad Al Noura: They Are Not Just Numbers, Documenting the Atrocities of the Rapid Support Forces in Al Jazirah State

June 6, 2024

Yesterday, on June 5, 2024, the Rapid Support Forces launched a brutal and savage attack on the village of Wad Al Noura in the western side of Al Managil area in Al Jazirah State of Sudan. They assaulted the village twice during the day, beginning with intense artillery shelling, followed by a wide-scale ground attack from three directions.

During these attacks, the Rapid Support Forces committed a bloody massacre, resulting in 156 confirmed fatalities within a single day and the counting is still ongoing. Also, 220 seriously injured individuals have been identified. Today, on June 6, 2024, the Rapid Support Forces once again stormed the village, asserting control and deploying their forces within it.

This is not the only massacre recently perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces in Al Jazirah State. Over the past two weeks, the Rapid Support Forces have attacked areas including Tekina, Al Hawsh, Wad Al Munir, Fadasi, Al Maeliq, and Abas, among other areas in rural Al Jazirah, committing similar atrocities. It is evident that their primary motive for attacking villages and areas devoid of Sudanese military presence is plunder and looting of properties.

These crimes and massacres committed by the Rapid Support Forces in Al Jazirah State coincide with their ongoing assault to seize the city of El Fasher in North Darfur State since May 10th. El Fasher has witnessed similar atrocities, with hundreds of civilians killed by the Rapid Support Forces. The violations have escalated to the point of attempting to deprive civilians of water by cutting off the city’s water supply, as well as burning shelters and camps for displaced people around the city.

The continued campaign of atrocities against civilians in Sudan by the Rapid Support Forces, coupled with the institutional immunity provided by some external and internal actors who accept their justification of these crimes and continue to treat the Rapid Support Forces as a regular political faction, is entirely unacceptable. The victims of these crimes are not mere numbers recorded in condemnation registers; they are souls lost and individuals whose natural rights to life, safety, and property have been violated.

Fikra for Studies and Development calls upon all domestic, regional and international stakeholders to make the Wad Al Noura massacre a turning point in addressing the violations occurring in Sudan. It should serve as an alarm bell, urging action to hold accountable any party involved in these crimes and violation, fully attributing political and institutional responsibility to the actions of their forces, and ending the institutional impunity that allows perpetrators to evade accountability.

Any discussions of new negotiations without clear mechanisms for enforcement and implementation agreed-upon measures, especially regarding civilian protection and ensuring their security and safety, will merely serve as an escape route and provide escape routes for criminals, encouraging further crimes and violations.

We urge all local, regional, and international parties to take immediate steps:
Condemn the massacre that occurred in Wad Al Noura on June 5, 2024, and shed light on all the violations witnessed in Al Jazirah State since it fell under the control of the Rapid Support Forces in December of last year.
Expand the mandate of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s International Fact-Finding Mission and allow it unconditional access to all areas of Sudan for investigating the violations committed during this war.
The United Nations Secretary-General should utilize the powers granted by Article 99 of the UN Charter, calling for an urgent Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Sudan and issue a binding resolution under Chapter VII to cease hostilities in Sudan, enforced by the Eastern Africa Standby Force and a joint force from the Arab League.
Impose strict international sanctions on countries supporting the continuation of the war in Sudan, enabling the perpetuation of these crimes and violations by the provision of weapons in blatant disregard of international legitimacy and the Security Council Resolution 1591.

As we mourn the souls of civilians who have fallen victim to the war in Sudan, we call upon all national, regional, and international stakeholders to change their approach from political complacency and unproductive rivalry to urgent, decisive action. Let the martyrs of Wad Al Noura be the latest victims in this war.

Fikra for Studies and Development
June 6, 2024