The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified their retaliatory attacks in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah state, leaving at least 18 people dead over the last two days. This violence follows the defection of ex-RSF commander Abu Aqla Kikil, who joined Sudan’s military forces in October. In response, the RSF has reportedly launched a campaign against villages in eastern and southern Al-Jazirah, resulting in heavy casualties and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee.
On Thursday, the Al-Jazirah Conference, a civilian organization formed post-RSF takeover in December 2023, reported an RSF-led attack on Al-Faj Al-Bashir village, killing eight people and leaving many wounded. In a similar incident the previous day, the RSF allegedly surrounded Wad Al-Fadl village, forcing residents into mosques, killing six people, looting properties, and setting the village hospital and homes ablaze.
Additional assaults on the villages of Al-Fawla Al-Afsa and Al-Nasrab resulted in two further deaths and multiple injuries. The Al-Jazirah Conference condemned these actions as “ethnic cleansing and genocide” and urged international human rights bodies to designate the RSF as a terrorist organization, calling for increased global pressure to halt the violence.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently reported that more than 119,000 people have fled eastern Al-Jazirah to escape the violence. Human rights groups estimate nearly 1,000 civilian casualties, along with widespread destruction, sexual violence, and looting across affected communities, underscoring the urgency of international intervention in Al-Jazirah.
