The ongoing siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Al-Hilaliya, a town in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state, has led to a reported 67 fatalities, with allegations of severe human rights abuses and critical humanitarian shortages. The town, located about 70 km northeast of Wad Madani, has faced weeks of isolation since the local RSF commander defected to the Sudanese army, intensifying local tensions and violence.
A civil society group, the Al Jazirah Conference, announced Wednesday that at least 13 residents were killed in direct clashes, while an additional 54 deaths were linked to suspected poisoning from contaminated food. The organization accused the RSF of providing detainees with food tainted with urea fertilizer, which led to fatal poisoning in a population already weakened by severe food shortages.
A witness reported similar cases of poisoning in recent weeks, stating that despite fears, the desperation of the besieged population left them no option but to eat the contaminated food. Reports also indicated that RSF forces were demanding a fee of one million Sudanese pounds (approximately $500) for those seeking safe passage out of the town toward Umm Dawaban, east of the Nile.
Activist images circulating on social media reveal residents crowded in a mosque, struggling with dwindling food supplies. Alongside Al-Hilaliya, the RSF has allegedly attacked nearby villages and towns in eastern Al Jazirah, believed to support the defected RSF commander. On Tuesday, RSF forces reportedly fired on a group fleeing Brideh village, killing two people, including a child.
The violence has forced around 400,000 residents to flee, and over 400 villages in Al Jazirah state have reportedly been abandoned due to the fighting, according to Al Jazirah Conference. The group further reported an RSF attack on Umm Maghad, which left two dead and two wounded, and included allegations of sexual violence in Al-Hilaliya.
This escalating conflict in Sudan began in April and has been marked by significant violence and accusations of human rights abuses by both the RSF and the Sudanese army, affecting especially Khartoum and Darfur regions. Neither the RSF nor Sudanese authorities have publicly responded to the recent allegations.
