The Minister of Health in Darfur condemned the massacre of displaced people in West Darfur, and called on the international community to hold those involved accountable, classify the Rapid Support Forces as a terrorist organization, and redouble efforts to stop its crimes against the Sudanese people.
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The health minister of Darfur is calling for international action against the Rapid Support Forces after the "massacre of displaced people" in western Darfur.
Babiker Hamdin, Minister of Health and Social Welfare for the Darfur region, announced his strongest condemnation of the massacre committed by the Rapid Support Forces militia on Saturday, October 17, against displaced people in the Hajar Sanakit area of the Bir Saliba administrative unit, which belongs to the Serba locality in West Darfur State.
The attack resulted in the martyrdom of eleven victims and the injury of a number of others, most of whom were children and women.
The minister explained that "the victims were forced to flee during the past year from the villages of Narouma, Karmaliya and Qaramba to the Sanakit area near the border strip between Sudan and Chad, after the militia burned their villages, looted their property and displaced them from their homes."
He pointed out that the militia pursued them again and targeted their displacement site with drones, considering that targeting camps for displaced people and defenseless civilians is one of the horrific crimes and serious violations of the rules of international humanitarian law, and confirms the militia’s disregard for the lives of innocent people.
The minister stressed that continued international silence and turning a blind eye to repeated crimes fuels impunity, emphasizing that the victims' blood imposes a moral and legal responsibility on the international community. He explained that protecting displaced persons and civilians is a responsibility mandated by international laws and conventions.
The minister attached to his statement a preliminary list of the victims' names, including children.
In closing his statement, he called on the international community and human rights and humanitarian organizations to condemn this massacre and hold the militia leadership and those involved in it accountable without exception. He also called for the Rapid Support Forces militia to be classified as a terrorist organization and for international efforts to be redoubled to stop its crimes and violations against the Sudanese people.