In a devastating escalation of violence, Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly killed at least 124 civilians in El Gezira State on Friday, according to pro-democracy activists. This massacre marks one of the deadliest events in the 18-month war and adds to a surge of recent attacks in the region.
The attack followed the defection of high-ranking RSF officer Abuagla Keikal, who surrendered to the Sudanese army last Sunday. Pro-democracy activists report that in retaliation, the RSF has launched a brutal campaign in Gezira, where Keikal originated, killing civilians, detaining residents, and displacing thousands.
El Gezira has endured months of violence, with locals reporting widespread looting, civilian casualties, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. The recent attack on Al-Sireha village was particularly brutal, with the Wad Madani Resistance Committee stating that the RSF killed 124 people and injured over 100.
In a Friday statement, the RSF claimed the army had armed civilians in Gezira and used forces previously under Keikal’s command, which, it said, justified its violent response. Neither the RSF nor the army has responded to requests for comment.
The RSF has seized control of large swaths of Sudan in its conflict with the army, triggering what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Since the conflict began in April 2023, more than 11 million people have been displaced, with many facing starvation, and foreign powers are reported to be supporting both sides.
Pro-democracy activists accuse the RSF of committing massacres throughout east, west, and central Gezira. Social media images purportedly show bodies wrapped for burial and mass graves being dug, while videos allegedly depict RSF soldiers subjecting men to racially charged abuse and forcing them into humiliating acts.
The Sudanese Doctors Union has decried the violence, calling for safe evacuation routes for civilians who, they say, face “genocide” by the RSF, with the injured unable to access treatment. Sudan’s Combating Violence Against Women Unit also reported RSF soldiers using sexual violence against women in Gezira to demoralize men and drive residents out of the area.
In response to the mounting violence, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello condemned the RSF’s recent attacks on civilians in Gezira as “shocking” and “reprehensible,” while noting that both the RSF and the Sudanese army were failing to protect civilian lives.
