Sudan war: RSF deny accusations of Ramadan killings in El Gezira

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have refuted allegations levelled by the resistance committees of Wad Madani, capital of El Gezira, as well as the specific allegation from the El Hasaheisa Resistance Committees, accusing the RSF of killing at least 43 civilians in the area during the first five days of Ramadan.

El Basha Tabeeg, advisor to the RSF commander, dismissed the claims of the resistance committees yesterday to Radio Dabanga, saying that they were “untrue and fabricated”. 

He asserted that no official statement had been issued by the resistance committees regarding these allegations, suggesting that the “data had been concocted by remnants of the previous regime”.

The RSF advisor emphasised that if the “resistance committees were the true representatives, they would hold a public press conference to address the matter”.

Tabeeg affirmed the safety of the villages reportedly under attack, stating that investigations by delegations sent to those areas found no evidence of such assaults.

The Facebook page of the Wad Madani Resistance Committees accused the RSF of killing 43 people in the state, alleging attacks on 28 villages since Ramadan began, on the eve of March 10.

The El Hasaheisa Resistance Committees issued 26 statements on their Facebook page during Ramadan, reporting the deaths of over 40 individuals. The RSF advisor dismissed these claims as fabricated.

Native Administration

Commenting on the establishment of a native administration in El Gezira, Tabeeg commended the initiative spearheaded by “civil society leaders and the police’s leadership to manage state affairs, provide services, and ensure protection”.

He said that the legitimacy of the civil authority stems from the December 2018 Revolution, emphasising that any discussions concerning El Gezira’s affairs, “not endorsed by the native administration, were baseless”.

The Wad Madani Resistance Committees expressed their opposition to the RSF formation of a civil authority in El Gezira. They expressed their surprise at the establishment of the Civil Founding Council of El Gezira by the RSF and categorically reject any representation by the paramilitaries, whether directly and indirectly, in state affairs.