United States condemns murder of 100 civilians in Sudan

WASHINGTON (CN) — The United States on Friday condemned the reported murder of 100 civilians by a paramilitary in Sudan this week.

The State Department said the Rapid Support Forces, one side of a brutal civil war, killed more than 100 unarmed civilians in the village of Wad al-Noura on Wednesday.

“It is imperative that the RSF take immediate action to stop these attacks and demonstrate swift accountability for those responsible for the murder of civilians,” State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said in a statement on Friday.

Sudan, an African country of nearly 50 million people, has been mired in a civil war since April 2023. The conflict broke out on the cusp of a western-brokered transition to democracy between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, who were for a time running the country together.

It’s hard to determine the death toll because the country is too dangerous for international observers, but a recent report by a Dutch think tank put the number at more than 150,000. Despite the constant bloodshed, the conflict hasn’t captured the attention of the American public at large.

More than 9 million people have been forced to flee their home, while around 25 million people — more than half the country’s population — need humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, there are worries of a renewed Darfur Genocide as the Rapid Support Forces, which evolved from militias that carried out the infamous slaughter in the mid-2000s, once again perpetuates ethnic violence in the region.

Wad al-Noura is within the agricultural state of Gezira, where the Rapid Support Forces took control of the capital Wad Madani in December. The paramilitary has frequently laid siege to and attacked villages in areas it controls, often with reports of ethnic violence, rape and torture.

In a statement Thursday, the Rapid Support Forces announced the group had attacked the army and allied militias in the town but did not mention civilian casualties.

“The RSF will not stand idly by in the face of enemy movements or gatherings,” a spokesperson said. “We will actively pursue and resolve these threats, countering all attempts by the former regime to mislead the public and conceal the truth that is already well known to all, including the people of the region.”

Friday’s condemnation was not paired with new sanctions or other actions announced by the Biden administration.

In his statement, Miller called for the resumption of ceasefire negotiations.

“Attacks on civilians throughout Sudan must stop now,” he said. “There can be no military victory in this war, whose toll is being measured in the tragic loss of civilian lives, displacement of millions from their homes, acute malnourishment, rape and torture, and ethnic cleansing.”

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