A social media video still captures the aftermath of the attack on Wad al-Nourah, where victims were left helpless. This article contains distressing details.
On June 5th, farmer Ali Ibrahim, 40, experienced a nightmare as heavy weapons were fired in the village. The bombardment lasted for hours, leaving houses destroyed and civilians unable to escape. It is estimated that at least 100 civilians lost their lives in the attack.
Survivors accuse armed men from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of opening fire and storming the village with heavy weaponry. The RSF forces allegedly prevented survivors from leaving the village and looted their belongings.
Witnesses at the Al Managil hospital recounted the terror they faced during the attacks, with one survivor describing how the RSF forces entered homes, killed civilians, and looted valuables.
Hamad Suleiman, a retail trader, shared a heartbreaking account of how his brother and nephew were shot dead by RSF fighters who then looted their belongings. The RSF spokesperson denied targeting civilians, claiming they were engaging with other armed groups in the area.
Wad al-Nourah, like many villages in Gezira state, has been affected by the conflict between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces. The RSF has been accused of numerous abuses against civilians in the region, despite their denials. Desde que la RSF tomó el control del área a finales del año pasado, una aldea tras otra ha sufrido actos de violencia. La RSF continúan negando acusaciones de crímenes de guerra como asesinato, saqueo, violación y quema de aldeas, en lugar de señalar a lo que llaman “personas indisciplinadas”. Miles de personas han muerto y 10 millones se han visto obligadas a huir de sus hogares desde abril del año pasado, cuando Sudán fue sumido en el caos después de que su ejército y un poderoso grupo paramilitar comenzaron una lucha feroz por el poder. La Coordinadora Residente y Humanitaria de la ONU para Sudán, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, ha solicitado una investigación exhaustiva y transparente para descubrir las circunstancias del ataque de Wad al-Nourah. Los habitantes de la aldea, que perdieron a decenas de seres queridos, esperan que se establezca un comité de investigación y que los responsables rindan cuentas, en lugar de escapar del castigo como ha sucedido en el pasado en Sudán. Información adicional de Abdelrahman Abutaleb y Richard Irvine-Brown.