Sudanese civilians declare dissatisfaction with RSF: Reports
Sputnik reports that the Sudanese people are rising up to the RSF in light of heightened brutality
The Rapid Support Forces, one of the two warring parties in Sudan's harrowing civil war, are facing a public outcry, and an activist with a local advocacy group telling Russian news agency Sputnik that the RSF had a reputation before the civil war started, with the locals disliking their presence due to numerous violations committed by the group.
As thousands fled the country, most of which are foreigners, the Sudanese locals have been forced to bear the brunt of the war, as they did not have the means to leave, and as they were trapped in their homes as bullets, rockets, and even fighter jets, echo overhead. However, the reality is grimmer for those trapped in RSF-held areas.
On top of the aforementioned frightening situation, those trapped in RSF-held areas have to also deal with the plundering, detention, or abduction they face in those regions, not to mention the killings that often take place there.
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The RSF detained in recent weeks at least 5,000 people in Khartoum, keeping them under inhumane conditions, human rights organizations in Sudan have reported, with an earlier report from the UN Human Rights Office saying there was a mass grave discovered that had the remains of at least 87 people in West Darfur. It is thought that RSF-linked militias had killed the victims in question.
One key activist, the founder of the Professional Pharmacists Association of Sudan, a human rights advocacy group, underlined that the violations committed under the RSF were no surprise at all.
"That tells a lot about the nature of these forces and the makeup of these forces. These forces are not fit to be a part of any official army. They're not disciplined enough. That's why there's this general anger against the RSF," Elmubarak told Sputnik.
"Most of the people just want them to be eradicated and gone. This massive popular anger towards the RSF did not start only because of the current war. It's been ongoing for a very long time," the activist added.
"Our membership is spread over all 18 states of Sudan. These reports are registered or recorded by our members in different cities. The most intense violations are happening in the Khartoum state near the capital. Apart from that, there’s also West Darfur in western Sudan, particularly in small cities and villages surrounding Al Junaynah in West Darfur," she said.
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In the West Darfur capital of El Geneina, near Chad, snipers have reportedly been targeting residents from rooftops since fighting began, and tens of thousands of residents have fled across the border.
According to Elmubarak, members of her group saw many outrageous offenses, including the firing of artillery straight at civilian homes, which caused numerous deaths and injuries.
Hospitals are allegedly also being used as military barracks, as the RSF and auxiliary militias went into the vital facilities and halted the services there, with estimates suggesting that the capacity to provide healthcare in the capital being reduced by more than 60%. "It's overwhelming to count the number of violations that have been ongoing. It’s based on what we've seen."
The activist underlined that the RSF has been relying on occupying densely-populated neighborhoods, making it incredibly difficult for the Sudanese Armed Forces to make it in without inflicting heavy civilian casualties.
"This approach of the RSF is about increasing the cost of the war in order to bring about some sort of settlement. This is not the attitude of someone who hopes to rule the country in the future, because you don't want to be on the wrong side of the masses," she underlined.
The significance of Elmubarak's profession, a pharmacist, stems from the political infrastructure of Sudan, wherein unions such as her advocacy group have always been at the forefront of advocating political change in the country since it was colonized by the British.
"It's a legacy that started with the professionals coming together to fight against colonialism. And then it was against the dictatorship. It has continued as part of the political legacy of civil society in Sudan," she explained.
Sudanese activists will continue to fight for the return of civil rule in the country once the war is over, Elmubarak said, though she underlined that the people were backing the Sudanese army in the meantime. "We're also very clear that we do not want the military to act as a political party to rule the country."
Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, stated that "every day children are being killed, injured, abducted and seeing the schools, hospitals and the vital infrastructure and life-saving supplies they rely on damaged, destroyed or looted," adding that previous generations who witnessed cycles of violence are now forced to see their offspring endure the same fate.
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According to the latest United Nations statistics, the conflict in Sudan has so far displaced about three million people, including about 700,000 who have crossed the border into neighboring countries.
Over half of Sudan's 48 million people now require humanitarian assistance to live, but the UN and relief organizations are failing to assist owing to a shortage of permissions from the government and cash from foreign donors.
According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, the country is "on the verge of collapse," detailing that "Sudan was already facing an overwhelming and vastly neglected humanitarian crisis before the war broke out. The first 100 days of fighting have brought it to catastrophic levels."
The situation is expected to worsen during the rainy season, which heightens the risk of flood, famine, and the spread of diseases, including malaria and cholera.
The UN also warned that the violence might push an additional 2.5 million people into food insecurity within months, implying that 19 million people will require humanitarian assistance to avoid famine.