RSF commander accused of abductions in South Darfur

The alleged abduction of three girls by a commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in South Darfur on Saturday sparked a demonstration against the repeated abductions in the area.

Members of the RSF, the main pro-givernment militia in Sudan, abducted three girls from their family houses in Birkatuli village in Abu Ajura, El Salam locality, on Saturday at 9pm. The girls have been taken to the RSF base 2 km south of Birkatuli by its commander, named Abdelrahman, villagers told Radio Dabanga.

“The commander entered the three houses and took three girls (aged 14, 15 and 17), and then moved to where he is based, south of the village,” one of the villagers said. The commander kept the girls at the base until releasing them the next evening at 8pm.

Residents of Birkatuli confirmed that the abduction of girls happened “by force of arms carried out by the RSF commander”. They claimed that this is not the first incident of its kind:

“This incident is the seventh of its kind at the hands of captain Abdelrahman. He has taken a number of people, including ten girls by force over the course of the year,” a villager said. He said that the incidents happen over farms, water resources and roads.

“We have been silent about the incidents throughout this period, out of fear for his vengeance and threats to hurt anyone who files a complaint.”

This time, however, the residents said they decided to hold a demonstration that condemned the incident. They filed a complaint to the police in Donki Dreisa and asked the state authorities to conduct an investigation in the area.