RSF siege of Sudan’s Al-Hilaliya leaves dozens dead

November 6, 2024 (AL-HILALIYA) – A siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the town of Al-Hilaliya in Al Jazirah state has resulted in at least 67 deaths, including 54 from suspected poisoning and a dire humanitarian situation for trapped civilians, according to a local civilian group.

The RSF, a paramilitary group, has besieged Al-Hilaliya, 70 km (43 miles) northeast of the state capital, Wad Madani, for weeks following the defection of its local commander to the army.

The Al Jazirah Conference, a civil society organization, said on Wednesday that 13 people had been killed by RSF gunfire, while 54 had died from poisoning. It accused the RSF of giving detainees food contaminated with urea fertilizer.

“Last week saw similar poisoning cases…but the severe hunger of the besieged left them no choice,” an eyewitness told the Al Jazirah Conference.

The witness added that the RSF charged one million Sudanese pounds (around $500) to allow people to leave for Umm Dawaban, east of the Nile.

Images shared by activists showed residents crammed into a mosque with dwindling food supplies.

The RSF has also launched attacks on other towns and villages in eastern Al Jazirah, a stronghold of the defecting commander. On Tuesday, two people, including a child, were killed when the RSF attacked a group fleeing Brideh village, the Al Jazirah Conference said.

The violence has displaced an estimated 400,000 people and emptied some 400 villages in the region, the group added.

In a separate incident, the Al Jazirah Conference reported two people killed and two injured in an RSF attack on Umm Maghad, north of Al Jazirah. It also cited a witness account of an RSF gang rape of a girl in Al-Hilaliya.

The RSF has not commented on the allegations.

Since the conflict between the RSF and the army erupted in April, both sides have been accused of widespread human rights abuses, particularly in the capital Khartoum and the Darfur region.