South Darfur displaced ‘terrorised by RSF-linked gunmen’
A displaced woman sits on a bed next to the remnants of her house, burned in a fire in Darfur (File photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran / UNAMID)
Displaced individuals in Mershing and Kass in South Darfur are facing a worsening security situation, with continuous violations including reports of rape, assault, and looting by armed groups of gunmen linked to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
A displaced person from the Hashaba camp near Kass described how these men “loot properties, terrorise residents with gunfire, and commit atrocities against women”, adding that, women gathering firewood, usually away from the confines of the camp, are especially at risk.
The alleged RSF-linked militants use the pretext of searching for weapons and alcohol, to storm displacement camps, beat residents, and extort money for release. Since September 15 last year, there have been at least 78 documented human rights violations.
Regardless of the presence of RSF, the gunmen reportedly operate with impunity, according to the source.
Food insecurity
The South Darfur Camp Administration for Displaced People said in a statement on Monday: “For the first time, we feel that all our people are in terrible danger and have been sentenced to death.”
Community leaders urged the authorities “to save the remaining displaced people and refugees in South Darfur camps who are suffering from severe hunger, which kills dozens of them daily.”
The statement called on Minni Minawi, governor of the Darfur region, to fully coordinate with the army and RAF to enable the delivery of aid, blocked by insecurity on the roads.
Sources state that the RSF is responsible for neglecting to protect the displaced and exacerbating the dire situation in Mershing and Kass localities.
South Kordofan
In South Kordofan, eight people were killed in separate incidents. Two individuals were shot dead by four masked assailants on motorcycles in the Khor Malbak area, north of Dalami in the Nuba Mountains, on Monday.
On Thursday last week, reports indicated that a landmine explosion on the road connecting Dalami to Um Burambita killed six people, including three children, with six others injured, who are currently being treated in a hospital in Kosti, White Nile state.
Recent weeks have witnessed repeated attacks on SAF troops in the region by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz El Hilu.
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