Khaberni - The Governor of the Sudanese Darfur region, Minni Arko Minawi, said that the city of Al-Fashir and the neighboring villages have witnessed massacres and genocide carried out by the Rapid Support Forces, amid international warnings of the atrocities committed and calls for holding those responsible accountable.
Minawi accused, in a speech he delivered, the Rapid Support Forces of not distinguishing between a citizen and a child, adding that these forces should not rejoice in what happened, emphasizing that "what is happening in Al-Fashir is the beginning, not the end."
He added, "We tell the world that your silence is a sign of disgrace and abandonment of humanity," accusing the one he described as "the financier of the Rapid Support Forces' militia" of "buying the world's silence."
The Rapid Support Forces announced on Sunday morning their control over Al-Fashir, following a siege that lasted more than a year, which means extending the forces' influence over all five Darfur states and dividing the country between an east controlled by the Sudanese army and a west under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.
On the other hand, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ben Cardin, said that the Rapid Support Forces "carried out atrocities including genocide."
Cardin added, "The Rapid Support Forces should be named as what they are—a foreign terrorist organization, considering that the atrocities in Al-Fashir are not coincidental but a planned strategy of the Rapid Support Forces from the start."
Millions of displaced
In the same context, the head of the Red Cross mission in Darfur told Al Jazeera that there are huge camps for the displaced in the city, and they are expected to expand due to the ongoing situation.
He added that the estimates of the organization he represents are that about 5 million people are currently considered displaced.
Meanwhile, the UK's Minister for Africa, Jane Chapman, discussed reports of violence perpetrated by both the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces, but 80% of it is committed by the Rapid Support Forces, according to the minister.
She continued, "What is happening in Sudan of atrocities and displacement is shocking," and added, "We will work to hold those responsible for any crimes committed in Sudan accountable."
These statements come in parallel with warnings from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Al-Fashir in North Darfur, especially with the escalating risk of committing "heinous crimes and violations motivated by ethnicity."
The High Commissioner, Volker Türk, confirmed in a statement that the risk of atrocities is increasing day by day in Al-Fashir, calling for urgent international action to protect civilians and ensure safe passages for those who want to flee to safer areas.
Field reports and data today, Tuesday, indicated that the Rapid Support Forces have conducted extensive killing operations against civilians in Al-Fashir and kidnapped several doctors following their control of the city which they had besieged for months.
Since April 15, 2023, both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in a war that numerous regional and international mediations have failed to end. Around 20,000 people have been killed during the conflict, and more than 15 million people have been displaced, including internally displaced persons and refugees, according to international and local reports.
