Calls for investigation mount after 100 killed in Sudan's Gezira state

By Adel Abdelrheem

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) - Sudanese and international organizations and institutions condemned on Thursday the killing of 100 civilians in the village of Wad Al-Noora in Sudan’s Gezira state and called for an immediate investigation and accountability for those responsible.

Earlier in the day, Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing a massacre in the village, killing "a large number of innocents," while the RSF said they attacked three camps housing elements of the army and intelligence personnel.

-Use of explosive weapons

Clementine Nkweta Salami, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, said in a statement: “I am shocked by reports of violent attacks and a high number of casualties in the village of Wad Al-Noora in Al-Jazirah (Gezira) State on 5 June 2024.”

“While the UN does not yet have the full details and facts of yesterday’s events, there are credible reports of heavy gunfire and the use of explosive weapons in populated civilian areas,” she added.

Salami called for “a thorough investigation into the circumstances and facts of what happened in Wad Al-Noora and for those responsible of crimes to be held accountable.”

She noted that the Rapid Support Forces have publicly confirmed that their elements were involved in ground operations in this area on June 5.

The Sudanese Ministry of Health in a statement decried the “heinous crime by the Rapid Support Forces in its worst form, as it killed civilians in Wad Al-Noura village in Gezira state during its invasion of the area, using heavy weapons against citizens, resulting in a gruesome massacre.”

The ministry strongly condemned "this behavior and genocide against citizens, especially in areas where it is difficult to provide health services even by international and UN organizations, especially for the wounded and those with chronic diseases."

-International Silence?

The governor of Sudan’s Darfur province, Minni Arko Minawi, said in a Facebook post that “the Rapid Support Forces committed a massacre in Wad Al-Noora village, with the number of casualties exceeding 150.”

“What does the world expect from these militias (Rapid Support Forces)? And what do supporting countries hope for? And why is the United Nations silent in the face of these crimes committed by countries that are members of it?" Minawi said.

Since December 2023, the Rapid Support Forces have controlled several cities in Gezira, including the state capital Wad Madani.

The Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), led by former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, condemned "the violations of the Rapid Support Forces against civilians in Gezira villages."

“We were shocked by the massacre that occurred in Wad Al-Noora village, which claimed the lives of more than 100 civilians,” Taqaddum spokesperson Bakri Al-Jack said in a statement.

The Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers said in a statement that "the attack launched by the Rapid Support Forces on Wad Al-Noora village, which resulted in the killing of about 100 civilians, is a painful example of gross human rights violations.”

“This attack constitutes a serious crime against humanity and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and international agreements related to the protection of civilians,” it added.

It called on “the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and take urgent action to stop these ongoing violations against civilians in Sudan.”

On Wednesday, the Sudanese Resistance Committees accused the Rapid Support Forces of killing around 100 people in the attack.

Since the war began in mid-April 2023 and spread across most of Sudan's states, the army has maintained control in the northern and eastern states, while the RSF has been active in the western and southern states.

Efforts to end the conflict through talks in Jeddah mediated by Saudi Arabia and the US, a peace initiative led by neighboring countries under Egypt's leadership, the efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa and discussions in Bahrain's capital Manama have all failed to yield results.

According to the UN, the conflict in Sudan has resulted in over 16,000 deaths, displaced approximately 8.7 million people and left over 25 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, making it one of the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala