Khartoum Accuses 'Rapid Support' of Committing Genocide in El Fasher

SadaNews - The Sudanese Foreign Ministry has accused the Rapid Support Forces of committing what it described as "crimes of genocide" in the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, condemning what it termed "horrific terrorist crimes" targeting unarmed civilians.

The ministry stated in a statement issued early Tuesday that the "Al-Deglo militia" is carrying out systematic racial killings and terrorizing the population, including women, children, and the elderly, noting that the fighters document these violations with "pride and audacity," according to the statement.

The Foreign Ministry added that the Rapid Support Forces "planned this genocide by besieging El Fasher and starving its residents for two and a half years," considering that "the current massacre is an extension of crimes committed by the militia in several regions of Darfur and the Gezira. ”

The ministry held the international community responsible for what is happening, accusing some countries of "politicizing the crisis and siding with their political and economic interests," which, according to it, encouraged the Rapid Support Forces to "challenge international laws and continue killing and destruction."

For his part, the Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, stated that the army "will continue to fight until achieving victory and purging the country of mercenaries," asserting that the decision to leave the military command in El Fasher was "for tactical reasons."

This comes after the announcement of the Rapid Support Forces' complete control over El Fasher, in a field development that enables them to impose their influence over all five Darfur states, solidifying a reality of geographic division between areas under army control and others under the Rapid Support's control.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been witnessing a bloody war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of more than 15 million people, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters the country has faced in its modern history.