Sudan’s War Forces Over 2 Million People To Leave Home, 959 Killed and 4750 Injured

According to the UN, fight between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for two months has forced more than two million people from their homes.

On April 15, when tensions between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army head, and Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, the RSF commander, erupted into war, Sudan descended into chaos.

The capital Khartoum and the western province of Darfur, which have witnessed some of the worst conflicts till date, continue fighting unabatedly on Wednesday. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which keeps tabs on civilian casualties, reports that as of June 12, at least 959 people have been killed and about 4,750 others have been injured.

Death Toll may be higher than estimated

The medical organisation warned that the death toll may be significantly higher because it was unable to account for those killed or injured in the ongoing fighting in el-Geneina, the capital of the West Darfur province. Since fighting broke out in the city in April, the hospitals have been closed, the group claimed.

According to International Organisation for Migration, over 530,000 more people have fled to Egypt, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, and Libya, which are nearby nations.

According to the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, all 18 of Sudan’s provinces have suffered displacement, with Khartoum leading the way with about 65% of the total number of displaced individuals and West Darfur coming in second with more than 17%.

Atrocities against hundreds of people

According to local activists and UN representatives, the RSF and associated Arab militias rampaged through the city of el-Geneina over the previous week, murdering and injuring hundreds of people.

Numerous women were allegedly sexually assaulted both inside and outside of homes while attempting to run away from the ongoing war, according to activists and locals in el-Geneina. According to AP, the RSF was held responsible for almost all rape cases.

However, according to Al Jazeera the refugees in settlements inside Chad last month claimed to have seen individuals wearing RSF uniforms fighting with Arab armed groups despite the RSF’s denials of any involvement in Darfur atrocities against civilians.

Army provided no security

According to Khamis Abdalla Abkar, the provincial governor of West Darfur, the RSF and associated armed groups attacked local communities in el-Geneina. He pleaded with the world community to act to protect civilians in his province in a phone interview with Al-Hadath on Wednesday. He stated, “We haven’t seen the army leave its base to protect citizens.

When the army or local police left, violence broke out in their towns and villages, creating a power vacuum that was filled by Arab militias, according to more than a dozen refugees who were interviewed by Al Jazeera in Chad last month. No one in the neighbourhood claimed that the army, provided any security.

Al-Burhan and Hemedti’s removed Prime Minister Abdalla in September 2021 and declard a state of emergency which was dubbed a “coup” by political opponents, since then Sudan is functioning without any government.

Also Read: Imran Khan Failed To Present Proof Of Assassination Claim To Joint Investigation Team