Rapid Support Forces militia have ravaged villages in the Al Jazirah state, killing more than 100 civilians.
Qatar has strongly condemned the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks against civilians – including women, children and the elderly – in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state that have left thousands displaced.
In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) denounced the crimes “as a flagrant violation of international laws and humanitarian norms”.
The statement also emphasised the importance of dialogue among all Sudanese parties “to permanently end the armed conflict, paving the way for wide negotiations that lead to a comprehensive agreement and lasting peace”.
Qatar has prioritised the Sudanese civil war and humanitarian crisis, urging the international community to elevate the issue on its agenda and fully address its root causes. The statement underscored Doha’s commitment to finding effective solutions to this pressing situation.
“The ministry reiterates the State of Qatar’s unwavering position on the unity, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Sudan, rejecting all forms of interference in its internal affairs, as well as fully respecting the choices of its brotherly people in freedom, peace, justice, and prosperity,” the statement concluded.
On October 20, hostilities escalated between the RSF and the Sudanese army in Al Jazirah, ignited by RSF leader Abu Aqla Muhammad Ahmed Kikil’s defection and his joining of the Sudanese Armed Forces.
In retaliation, the RSF launched a violent campaign against Al-Jazirah, Kikil’s home region.
Under the command of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF has conducted a series of attacks in eastern Al-Jazirah, resulting in the deaths of over 18 individuals within 48 hours, according to Sudan Tribune.
Witnesses and survivors said the RSF carried out mass killings in the Al-Sariha village in the eastern state.
A new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has confirmed that more than 135,000 people have been displaced from locations across the state between October 20-30.
Some reports claim that in those 10 days, the paramilitary group killed over 120 civilians in villages across Al Jazirah.
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres has also joined Qatar in strongly condemning the RSF attacks on the eastern state.
“The Secretary General is appalled by the large numbers of civilians being killed, detained and displaced, acts of sexual violence against women and girls, the looting of homes and markets and the burning of farms,” UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement issued on Friday.
In a recently published report by the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, it was revealed that the RSF’s war crimes and crimes against humanity included widespread sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls.
