Sudan accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of killing 120 people in Al-Hilaliya, eastern Al Jazirah state, through shootings and food poisoning. The town has been under siege for ten days, facing severe humanitarian conditions, including a cholera outbreak and a lack of healthcare. The Sudanese foreign ministry condemned these actions, linking them to retaliation for RSF defections to the army.
Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out a brutal attack on the town of Al-Hilaliya, located in eastern Al Jazirah state, which left 120 dead. The victims were allegedly killed through a combination of shootings and deliberate food poisoning. The siege, which has lasted for ten days, has left residents facing dire conditions, including widespread illness, lack of healthcare, and a cholera outbreak.
The Sudanese government condemned the RSF’s actions, labeling them a “heinous crime” and a continuation of the group’s pattern of violence against civilians in recent weeks. This follows a series of massacres across Al Jazirah state, including in the village of Al-Sariha and 58 other villages. These attacks are reportedly in retaliation for the defection of key RSF commanders to the Sudanese army.
The foreign ministry pointed to the defection of Abu Aqla Kikl, the RSF’s commander in Al Jazirah state, in October, which escalated violence in the region. Following this defection, RSF forces launched attacks on the cities of Rufaa and Tambul, resulting in dozens of deaths and displacing tens of thousands. The ministry accused the RSF of intentionally heightening civilian casualties in a bid to provoke international intervention while seeking to maintain control over captured territories.
Additionally, resistance committees in Al-Hasahisa, Al Jazirah state, condemned the situation in Al-Hilaliya, calling it a humanitarian disaster. They reported that the death toll had surpassed 100, with 15 people killed by RSF gunfire and the rest succumbing to food poisoning from contaminated wheat. The RSF is also accused of extorting families, demanding ransoms for those trapped in the besieged town. The committees have urged both local and international humanitarian organizations to deliver emergency aid.
The Sudanese government has called for the international community to recognize the RSF as a terrorist organization, with calls for the prosecution of its leaders and anyone found supporting or harboring the group.
