Sudan : Accusations of “Rapid Support” of killing 43 civilians in Al-Jazeera State

The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the “Rapid Support” forces killed 43 civilians in the state of Al-Jazeera in the center of the country, attacked 28 villages and detained humanitarian aid convoys, while the “Rapid Support” did not comment on the accusations.

On Friday, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement accusing the Rapid Support Forces of attacking 28 villages and killing 43 civilians during the past two weeks, in Al-Jazeera State in the center of the country.

The statement stated, "The Rapid Support Forces, coinciding with the start of the month of Ramadan, escalated their attacks on safe villages in Al-Jazeera state in the center of the country, and the states of North and South Kordofan (south)."

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry indicated that the “Rapid Support” in Al-Jazira State alone attacked 28 villages, killed 43 civilians, and looted the village residents’ property and food crops, according to the statement.

The statement added that "Rapid Support" detained a number of humanitarian aid trucks belonging to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) while they were heading to camps for the displaced in the city of El Fasher in North Darfur state (west).

Neither Rapid Support nor UNICEF issued any comment in this regard as of 12:45 GMT.

On Wednesday, the Deputy Commander of the Sudanese Army, Shams al-Din Kabbashi, announced the readiness of the armed forces to liberate all areas of Al-Jazira State from the control of the “Rapid Support Forces,” which has controlled several cities since December 2023, including Wad Madani.

Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been waging a war that has left about 13,900 people dead and more than 8 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations.