New testimony has emerged shedding light on one of the most horrific atrocities of the year-long Sudanese civil war: the large-scale massacre of civilians in Darfur. Witnesses describe chilling scenes of children being “piled up and shot” by paramilitary forces as they tried to flee ethnic violence in June last year. The testimonies, collated by Human Rights Watch, point to a concerted campaign of ethnic cleansing orchestrated by the Arab-led Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against Sudan’s non-Arab Masalit tribe in West Darfur.
Human Rights Watch is urging urgent action from the United Nations and African Union, calling for an arms embargo on Sudan and the deployment of a mission with a robust police force to protect civilians in Darfur. The report also calls for sanctions against those responsible for war crimes, including RSF commanders Abdel Rahman Joma’a Barakallah and Mohamed “Hemedti” Hamdan Dagalo.
The situation in Darfur is dire, with over 8 million people displaced since fighting erupted in April 2023. El Fasher, the last city held by Sudan’s military, is now on the brink of a potential massacre as it is encircled by the RSF.
The testimonies paint a harrowing picture of the violence, with civilians being chased, rounded up, and shot as they attempted to flee. The attacks, including on makeshift medical clinics, left numerous dead and injured. The international community must act swiftly to prevent further bloodshed and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
