AFRICA/SUDAN – Concern for thousands of civilians missing in El Fasher

Khartoum – Tens of thousands of civilians who fled El Fasher are currently considered missing. Humanitarian organizations operating in the Tawila refugee camp, about 50 km from the city, which was captured last week by the Rapid Support Forces , had anticipated a larger influx of displaced people. When the city fell to the RSF, it had a population of approximately 260,000, of whom the UN estimates at least 65,000 have fled. However, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council, which manages the Tawila camp, fewer than 6,000 people from El Fasher have sought refuge there. There are fears that displaced persons are being prevented from leaving the city, possibly because they are being pressured to pay to continue their journey. Most of them, however, do not have enough money to comply with the militias’ extortion demands. During the 18-month siege, the RSF surrounded El-Fasher with a circular sand wall to prevent potential attacks by the regular army, which had entrenched itself in the town. This defensive measure has now made it even more difficult for residents to leave El-Fasher, as further reports of massacres and ethnic discrimination by militias emerge. The UN has described the recent events as “mass atrocities,” although the exact number of victims remains unknown due to the disruption of communication with the region. The RSF itself has stated that it has arrested several of its members for war crimes, a move, however, that local and international humanitarian organizations have called “propagandistic.” The RSF has claimed to have arrested several of its members for war crimes. Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris lamented that the international community had done “little” to end the civil war that erupted in April 2023, but rejected the deployment of UN troops to his country, stating that “the deployment of international troops would constitute an attack on Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is illegal and would only lead to further confusion, which would be counterproductive. The Sudanese army and the Sudanese people are determined to rescue and free El-Fasher.” Idris also stated that “the RSF works closely with mercenaries from around the world, especially from Colombia,” and described them as “criminals who know neither the country nor the RSF’s war aims” because they “only fight for money.” Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in an interview with Al Jazeera, declared that “what is happening in Sudan is genocide.” “Our soldiers,” he laments, “are being sent to Sudan and Ukraine as mercenaries to fight by mafia bosses living in Dubai, Rome, and Miami.” “We do not want to become complicit in the genocide in Sudan and will prosecute these mafia networks,” he affirms. Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV also called for peace and humanitarian aid for Sudan after his Angelus prayer on Sunday, November 2 .
Several heads of state from major Muslim-majority countries have also commented on the situation in Sudan, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who emphasized, “We must protect the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Sudan. It is important to support the Sudanese people in these difficult times and to continue providing humanitarian and development aid.” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also commented, reiterating, “Malaysia calls for an immediate cessation of violence and the full protection of the civilian population in accordance with international humanitarian law.”

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