Self-Documentation of the Missing in the Rapid Support Forces’ Crimes at Zamzam Camp

“Where are you, Haroun?” This question echoes daily in the mind of young Mubarak Bashir Al-Nour as he stands outside his tent in a displacement center in El Fasher, western Sudan, after losing his older brother during the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) attack on the Zamzam camp for displaced persons. His personal pain has turned into a motivation to work for others.

Mubarak told Al Jazeera Net that he cannot describe the pain he feels after losing Haroun. “Every night, his memories return to my mind, and I wish I knew his fate,” he said. “Losing a loved one is a shared experience here. We help the victims’ families search for the truth and amplify their voices to the world. Every missing or murdered person is part of our story, and that story must be told.”

Mubarak joined a group of young people who founded an organization named the “Zamzam Genocide Victims Committee,” which documents and counts the dead, missing, and rape cases. They aim to achieve justice and support victims through international platforms, he explained.

Documentation and Support

One of the committee’s founders, Ahmed Hussein Hashim, told Al Jazeera Net that they have so far documented around 101 missing persons and 400 killed during the camp attack. They operate a “sophisticated” digital database with help from volunteers inside and outside Sudan.

Hashim added that their work goes beyond documentation to include organizing psychological support sessions for affected families, providing legal aid, and liaising with international organizations. “Each case we document is a human story, and we are committed to helping families uncover the truth and know the fate of their loved ones,” he said.

Since the RSF intensified its attacks on Zamzam camp and El Fasher, some of its members have enslaved many individuals, according to observers.

Displaced woman Hawa Jumaa shared her tragic story with Al Jazeera Net. She said her husband and three other men were kidnapped during the recent assault on the camp and were forced to herd livestock under threat of weapons.

“They were taken to remote areas near the town of Kabkabiya, working long hours without enough food. They had no choice but to obey or face death,” she added.

Fortunately, Hawa continued, “my husband managed to escape after making a bold decision. He is now staying in a border area inside Chadian territory along with other refugees.”

According to the official spokesperson for the displaced, Mohammed Khamis Douda, the number of those killed in the camp attack reached around 1,500, while the missing numbered around 400.

Douda told Al Jazeera Net, “The attack was brutal and caused massive destruction in the community. The victims’ voices must be heard, and the newly formed committee should represent them in these difficult times, as the community is suffering from deaths, injuries, disappearances, and cases of rape.”

Global Double Standards

Committee member Suleiman Mukhtar pointed out clear double standards in how the war in Sudan is treated compared to other global conflicts.

He told Al Jazeera Net that international attention to the Sudanese crisis lacks “seriousness and justice,” as priority is often given to some conflicts at the expense of others, further marginalizing the Sudanese issue on the world stage.

He added that some crises receive wide media coverage and swift international support, while Sudan is left to face its “tragedies,” as he put it. He emphasized the need to support the committee in all forums.

Human rights activist Fatima Abdullah confirmed that this “double standard” also extends to humanitarian aid, noting that Sudan suffers from a “severe shortage” of international funding for relief compared to other more prominent crises.

“This disparity means that displaced and affected families in Sudan are deprived of basic support, while massive resources are allocated to other crises, deepening the gap in achieving justice,” she added.

A Step Toward Justice

Legal expert Mohamed Ibrahim Nkrumah believes that documenting enforced disappearances in Darfur is a fundamental step toward achieving justice.

He told Al Jazeera Net that there is an “urgent need” to shed light on these violations locally, regionally, and internationally to curb their spread. He added, “It is crucial to reveal places of detention and uncover the fate of the missing, as the suffering of their families is no less than those who lost loved ones to murder.”

Nkrumah stressed that this information should be presented to international legal bodies to hold perpetrators accountable. “Cooperation between local and international organizations strengthens the chances of achieving justice and supporting victims,” he said.

Observers note that in the absence of international community action, civil society in Sudan plays a vital role in promoting human rights, especially in Darfur, where local organizations are monitoring, following up, and supporting victims and displaced people fleeing war zones.

Activist Shatha Mohamed said, “We are working to provide essential aid, but we need more support to meet the community’s needs.”

She told Al Jazeera Net that collaboration between local and international organizations is crucial to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives. She called on the world to focus on Sudan, which she described as “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.”

Genocide

In this context, human rights activist Mamoun Saleh is working to document the crimes committed during the camp raid by collecting evidence. “We don’t carry weapons, but we’re fighting a war for the truth. The world must know the scale of the tragedy the residents of Zamzam camp endured,” he said.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, he added, “We move between survivors and collect testimonies, relying on phones to gather information from survivors and witnesses who fled to other areas.”

He noted that they discover more “horrifying” stories every day, with entire families having disappeared and survivors suffering indescribable trauma. He asserted that what happened in Zamzam was not merely an RSF raid, but a “systematic genocide” against civilians. He criticized the international silence, which he said only deepens the victims’ suffering, and called on everyone to take responsibility.

Source: Al Jazeera Net