Accusations Against RSF of Kidnapping and Killing Girls in El Fasher

The Supreme Committee for Displaced Persons at Zamzam Camp in North Darfur, western Sudan, has accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of kidnapping 23 girls from the camp. Reports confirm that five of the girls have died while being held at Dagris Prison in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, under conditions believed to involve torture and abuse.

On April 13, the RSF launched a large-scale attack on Zamzam Camp, located 15 kilometers south of El Fasher, taking control of the area amid fierce battles around the city. The attack heightened security tensions and worsened the humanitarian crisis.

Mohamed Khamis Doda, the official spokesperson for the displaced persons in Zamzam Camp, told Al Jazeera Net that the kidnapped girls were taken to Nyala following the RSF’s raid on the camp. He cited reliable information indicating that five of them died from torture, while the conditions of the remaining detainees remain unknown amid heavy secrecy.

He described the incident as a grave human rights violation and called on the international community to take immediate action to protect civilians and ensure the release of the detainees.

Activist Mohamed Adam described the incident as a “horrific humanitarian crime,” pointing out that field reports confirm the girls died due to starvation and torture inside the prison. He urged human rights organizations to take urgent action and apply international pressure to rescue the detainees and provide humanitarian support to the displaced population.

Ongoing Bombardment

Meanwhile, field sources reported two deaths and three injuries following a drone strike by the RSF on the Awlad Al-Reef neighborhood in El Fasher on Monday night. The strike exacerbated the suffering of residents already facing severe shortages of food and medicine due to the ongoing siege on the city.

Colonel Ahmed Hussein Mustafa, spokesperson for the Joint Forces of the Armed Struggle Movements, told Al Jazeera Net that RSF continues to target the city with heavy artillery and drones. However, he affirmed that their forces are making tangible progress in lifting the siege on El Fasher, stressing that “victory is near” amid ongoing military operations.

Humanitarian Situation

The residents of El Fasher are enduring severe humanitarian conditions, with food prices soaring to unprecedented levels. Most shops have shut down due to continuous shelling and a critical shortage of essential supplies, making life increasingly difficult for the civilians trapped in the city.

Salih Haroun, a merchant and major supplier in El Fasher, stated that the situation worsened significantly following RSF attacks on three villages west of the city: Golo, Garni, and Al-Sharif.

He told Al Jazeera Net that these events have severely exacerbated the region’s economic crises, negatively impacting the lives of local residents. He noted that some traders previously relied on donkey-drawn carts to reach these villages at night and bring back essential goods. However, these commercial activities have completely halted since the attacks, increasing the suffering of communities that depend on these supplies.

Haroun added that the current situation requires urgent intervention to assist both residents and traders. Continued deterioration could lead to widespread famine and the loss of vital livelihoods.

In a statement on its official Facebook page, the El Fasher Resistance Committees Coordination warned that famine threatens thousands of families due to the ongoing food crisis and rapidly worsening living conditions. The crisis now includes shortages of medicine and water, further complicating daily life for residents under siege and bombardment.

The coordination committee stressed that ongoing shelling is forcing people to remain indoors, preventing them from seeking food or medical care. Meanwhile, the security situation is obstructing humanitarian aid from reaching those in need.

The committee called on international organizations and government bodies to intervene urgently to save civilians, warning of a looming humanitarian disaster if the crisis continues without concrete solutions.

In November 2023, the RSF expanded its operations into four Darfur states—south, east, west, and central—as part of an effort to gain control over the region, resulting in widespread massacres.

In April of this year, armed movements in El Fasher abandoned their neutrality and declared support for the Sudanese army, prompting the RSF to besiege the city and attack the nearby Zamzam Camp.

Source: Al Jazeera