Sudan war: ‘El Gezira is bleeding’

Since Wad Madani, capital of El Gezira, fell to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in December last year, after only four days of resistance from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), life in the entire state, south of Khartoum, has turned into a hell, Radio Dabanga correspondent Abdelmonim Idris reports.

The only forces deployed in El Gezira are the paramilitary RSF. “They are responsible for everything that is happening in the region,” Idris says.

After the RSF took control of Wad Madani, on December 19, RSF Commander-in-Chief Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo said that the residents of El Gezira “will remain safe, sound, and secure, as the RSF provides protection for all citizens, their money, and their honour”.

On December 26, Radio Dabanga spoke with RSF Advisor Yousef Ezzat, who strongly denounced attacks on civilians. “We at the RSF Command condemn any lawlessness against civilians, also if it comes from our own forces or those who wear RSF uniforms or fight in the name of the RSF,” he stated.

More than two months later, most residents and those who sought refuge in Wad Madani last year, have left. The villages in the southern, western, and eastern parts of El Gezira, well-known for its agricultural production, however, have been prone to repeated assaults by RSF soldiers and are suffering from a severe lack of food.

These villages are witnessing a mass exodus. Most people are fleeing on foot, towards El Managil in the southwest of the state, many others seek refuge in eastern Sudan, and walk to El Gedaref or El Dinder.

“They prefer facing an unknown fate that to certain death,” Idris writes. “They left everything behind, including their farms and their livestock, to which have devoted their entire life.

“Numerous videos and photos of people fleeing their villages on foot or riding on horses or donkeys have gone viral. Armed robberies, sexual assaults, and killing have become part of daily life. Just follow the daily reports of the Wad Madani Resistance Committees on social media.”

Reports

Among reports posted by the Wad Madani Resistance Committees in the past five days:

“More than 46 villages raided! Dozens of people killed! Hundreds injured! Tens of thousands forcibly displaced! Hundreds of thousands have nothing to eat! Lack of networks and communications and complete isolation!

“Communications and internet outages continue in El Gezira for more than three weeks, with increased attacks by the RSF militia.

“The RSF stormed the village of Wad El Basir in Hasaheisa locality. Two people were killed, and several others wounded.

“The RSF militia committed a massacre in El Shareef Mukhtar village in southern El Gezira. Initial reports mention a large number of dead and wounded. The residents are fleeing towards El Managil and White Nile state.

“The situation in Rufa’a: no clashes in the town. RSF soldiers continue their raids of homes and assaults on civilians.

“Partial return of work in the Grand Market [of Wad Madani], with some food and consumer items available. Yet, most families do not have a daily income – which may lead to famine.

“The RSF attacked El Sariha and El Azrag vilages in Reefi El Maaleeg, which led to the death of a number of civilians. The attackers are still terrorising and robbing the villagers.

“According to some initial reports, there have been abductions of women since the RSF militia entered Wad Madani. They tie and blindfold them, and take them to unknown detention centres.”

The resistance committees of Hasaheisa on Sunday accused the RSF of continuing to invade the villages in the area of Tabat, west of the town, last week.

In a statement on social media, they referred to unconfirmed reports about deaths, including children, in the villages of Marioud and Fenoub. In Feteis village, RSF soldiers shot people in the legs and threatened to kill women and children. All residents, including sick and elderly people fled on foot to El Managil.

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Pledges

As the mobile telephone lines and internet networks are still cut, landlines are used instead, or the Starlink satellite internet service.

Idris spoke with Siddig Abdelhadi, former chairman of the board of directors of the El Gezira and El Managil Agricultural Scheme, who has launched several initiatives to contact the RSF commanders in Wad Madani, to stop the ongoing violence against civilians.

“The RSF leaders we spoke with, however, never lived up to the pledges they made to us.”

Abdelhadi said that the villages in the west of El Gezira are witnessing the largest displacement, “although some people are too sick or unable to travel”.

He further described the inability of farmers to harvest their wheat as “frightening”, as a large part of the staple food for the entire Sudan used to come from El Gezira.

The Sudanese Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also reported on the “worrying situation” in the villages of central and western El Gezira and called on “the relevant international and regional bodies to intervene, investigate these events, and hold those involved accountable”.

JEM

The former head* of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Jibril Ibrahim, vowed on February 5 that his movement “would not remain silent in the face of attacks on the population” and said that they are preparing to enter Wad Madani soon.

JEM Spokesperson Mutasim Saleh told Radio Dabanga that they are cooperating with the army “to liberate El Gezira”.

He said that JEM, along with other rebel movements, have opened camps to train volunteers “to free all regions of Sudan from the RSF”.

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* In end August last year, the Darfuri Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) ousted its president, Jibril Ibrahim, Minister of Finance in the de facto Sudanese government, and chose Suleiman Sandal, the political secretary of the movement, as his successor. Ibrahim, whose second three-year term had ended, was accused of obstructing attempts to elect a new leader. Worse among the JEM leaders, however, was Ibrahim’s decision, in mid-August, to dismiss Sandal and three other prominent members because they had allegedly met with RSF Deputy commander Abdelrahim Dagalo in N’Djamena, capital of Chad. Sandal denied the accusation. Following his election as head of the movement, Sandal admitted that JEM‘s participation in the military coup of October 25, 2021, was a mistake.