Rights Groups Report Executions, Kidnappings, and Forced Disappearances

Sudan's Paramilitary Force Accused of Mass Killings in White Nile State

The Rapid Support Force (RSF), a paramilitary group in Sudan, has been accused of killing hundreds of civilians, including infants, in White Nile state. Sudanese officials and rights groups reported the attacks on Tuesday, painting a grim picture of violence against innocent civilians.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry, in a statement cited by Egyptian state-run Qahera News TV, claimed that the RSF targeted civilians in villages in the al-Gitaina area after suffering a crushing defeat by the Sudanese army. The statement put the death toll at 433, while the Preliminary Committee of Sudan Doctors’ Trade Union estimated the figure at 300.

Emergency Lawyers, a rights group monitoring violence against civilians, reported in a statement that over 200 people, including women and children, were killed in RSF attacks over the past three days. Hundreds more were injured. The group described the attacks as including executions, kidnappings, forced disappearances, looting, and shootings of those trying to escape.

Minister of Culture and Information Khalid Ali Aleisir condemned the attacks on Facebook, calling them the latest instance of "systematic violence against defenseless civilians."

The Sudanese military reported on Saturday that it had advanced in White Nile, liberating more cities and villages and cutting off crucial supply routes to the RSF. The two groups have been locked in a battle for control of the country since April 2023.

The war in Sudan has had devastating consequences, killing over 24,000 people and displacing over 14 million, roughly 30% of the population. An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have fled to neighboring countries like Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.

The U.N. reported on Tuesday that its human rights office documented over 4,200 civilian killings throughout 2024, with the actual number likely much higher. Norway's Minister of International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, expressed deep concern about the escalating violence and attacks against civilians, calling for an immediate end to such attacks.

The recent developments have given the military the upper hand in the war, with the RSF suffering significant losses, including control of the city of Wad Medani, the capital of Gezira province, and other areas. The military also regained control of the country's largest oil refinery. The RSF appears to have lost control of the Greater Khartoum area and the cities of Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri.

Despite international mediation attempts, including a U.S. assessment that the RSF and its proxies are committing genocide, the war in Sudan shows no signs of ending.