Gezira Atrocities Highlight Urgency of Civilian Protection in Sudan

Refugees International is deeply alarmed by the mass killings and rapes reported out of Gezira state in Sudan. According to witnesses on the ground, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have gone house to house, looting, targeting civilians, killing at least 124 people, and committing widespread sexual violence. 

The latest RSF abuses come days after a report from the UN Fact-Finding Mission found that both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continue to commit large-scale human rights abuses that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The SAF have indiscriminately bombed civilians, especially in Darfur and Khartoum, while the RSF has been responsible for the majority of reported rapes and other sexual violence. 

These atrocities also come just as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres presented a report on protection of civilians in Sudan to the UN Security Council. In his report, Guterres acknowledges the severity of the violence but stops short of calling for a protection force. 

Condemning the RSF Atrocities and Calling for a Civilian Protection Force

Refugees International President Jeremy Konyndyk said:

“These latest mass atrocities are an urgent reminder of the need for redoubled diplomatic efforts to end the war and preparation of a force to protect civilians. While the current political will for such a step is lacking, the reality of escalating atrocities on the ground demands a more robust response. The UN Security Council should work with the African Union to establish an international civilian protection mechanism and physical protective presence in Sudan.”

Condemning External Actors Fueling Atrocities

Refugees International also urges the UN Security Council and countries of influence to heed the call of the UN Secretary General to stop arms flows into Sudan. Several countries have been implicated in providing weapons and other support to the SAF and RSF, including Egypt, Iran, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE, in particular, has been shown by multiple independent investigations and the UN Fact-Finding Mission to be responsible for providing weapons to the RSF.

Refugees International President Jeremy Konyndyk said:

“External actors supporting the RSF and SAF must condemn these latest abuses and cease any further material or diplomatic support to the warring parties. The UAE, in particular, has been supplying weapons to the RSF, weapons likely used in the latest round of atrocities in Gezira.”

Refugees International and several partners are carrying out a #SpeakOutOnSudan campaign to raise awareness of the role of the UAE in Sudan. For more on the campaign and the growing public condemnation of the UAE’s role see www.speakoutonsudan.org. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.