Thousands detained by Sudans paramilitary RSF in el-Fasher region

Thousands of people remain detained in poor conditions by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in el-Fasher, western Sudan. According to the Sudan Doctors Network, 20 doctors, over 1,470 civilians, and 907 military personnel are being held in “dire” conditions in multiple detention facilities in the city.

The RSF has been accused of numerous crimes against humanity during the conflict in Darfur, which has now marked its third anniversary. The group has been fighting a civil war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people.

A local NGO reported that the RSF is committing “severe violations” inside the detention centres, including killings during torture and interrogation, as well as ethnically motivated killings. The group also reports that 370 women and 426 children are among those held in facilities such as Shalla Prison, a children’s hospital, and cargo containers.

The detention centres have faced a cholera outbreak since early February, with poor environmental conditions, a lack of clean water, and malnutrition contributing to the spread of diseases. The capture of doctors has further debilitated the health sector, according to the NGO.

In February, UN-backed experts reported that the RSF had carried out a “coordinated campaign of destruction” against non-Arab communities in and around el-Fasher, with some characteristics suggesting genocide. The civilian population remains vulnerable to ongoing fighting, including a recent Sudanese army strike on the Hamidiyah camp for displaced people near Zalingei, which killed six people and wounded dozens more.

The conflict began three years ago when a rivalry between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo escalated into all-out war.

Source: Al Jazeera