Darfur Academics call for urgent humanitarian intervention for Sudanese refugees

July 13, 2023 (WASHINGTON) – Darfuri academics in the United States have called for urgent humanitarian intervention to support Sudanese refugees who fled to neighbouring Chad due to violence in Sudan’s Darfur region. Their call also includes the trapped population in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.

The academics say that the refugees desperately need food, water, shelter, medical care, and other essential services. They have also called for the international community to investigate Darfur’s violence and hold those responsible accountable.

The violence in Darfur has been ongoing for many years, but it has escalated in recent months. In April 2023, El-Geneina was attacked by the Rapid Support Forces-supported militias. The attacks resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and the displacement of thousands more.

The IOM has called for urgent international assistance to the Sudanese refugees in Chad, saying that a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Eastern Chad is rapidly closing. The WFP estimated that more than 230,000 refugees and 38,000 returnees have crossed into Chad from Sudan since April 2023.

The refugees who fled to Chad now live in overcrowded camps and are struggling to survive. They lack access to basic necessities and are at risk of disease and malnutrition.

The Darfuri academics say that the international community has a moral obligation to help the refugees. They argue that the violence in Darfur is a humanitarian crisis and that the international community must do more to help the people who have been affected.

Recommendations for Humanitarian Assistance

The Darfuri academics have made the following recommendations for humanitarian assistance to the refugees:

• Urgent medical intervention is needed for injured refugees, as well as for maternal and child health.
• General food rations and feeding for particular groups (malnourished children, pregnant & lactating women) are also needed.
• Shelter, water, and sanitation are essential for the refugees.
• Provision of basic education for children is also essential.

The academics say that the international community must act now to help the refugees. They argue that the longer the international community waits, the worse the situation will become.

The following is the full text of the appeal.

Urgent Appeal for Humanitarian Intervention for Lifesaving

 Support for Affected West Darfur State, Sudan.

Executive Summary: 

              For two consecutive months, the residents of El Geneina in the state of West Darfur – the far west of Sudan – were subjected to killing, looting, rape, and destruction of property due to an absurd war fabricated and continued by armed groups. This war is the least described as barbaric, brutal and inhumane. It is characterized by a high degree of violence, cruelty and the heinous practice of killing innocent people. It is a type of ethnic cleansing war that has rarely been seen recently.
West Darfur’s capital, the city of El Geneina, is one of the five Greater Darfur States. It is in the far west of Sudan and bordered on the west by the state of Chad, on the south by Central Africa, on the north by North Darfur, and on the east by East Darfur. The population of El Geneina, the capital of the state, is about one million, consisting of more than fifty tribes and et ethnicities. Thus, the city is characterized by cultural and linguistic diversity, and despite that, the city was one of the safest and quietest cities in Sudan until 2003, when the war broke out in Darfur. The West Darfur state had the lion’s share of destruction and killing during that war. This destruction has continued until now. The situation in the state worsened since May 23, 2023, when the city of El Geneina was subjected to a violent attack and sieged by the Janjaweed militias, which led to the killing of 5 thousand people, including the governor, wounding of 3 thousand, and the displacement of more than half of the city’s population to Chad.

The city has become a ghost town today, where all the necessities of life, including water, food, and medicine, have been cut off, and its connection with the world has been interrupted. The killing of the population continues inside the city from the Janjaweed. As for the case of the displaced and refugees who entered Chad, their number is estimated at 400,000 people who live in challenging life conditions. No humanitarian relief organization has come to the areas of refuge to aid those fleeing the hell of war who left their homes with nothing but the clothes they wore. Considering these conditions of lack of shelter, food, drink and treatment. Diseases spread among the elderly and the young, as children began to die from diarrhoea, infections and other childhood diseases, which requires rapid humanitarian intervention to save what can be saved.

Introduction &Background:

West Darfur has been known for a traditional conflict between pastoral Arab tribes and Negro tribes that have been working in agriculture for a long time. Most of the conflict in the past was traditional, limited to the entry of shepherds with their livestock to farms in the region. Confrontations occur with white weapons between shepherds and farmers. Soon the police or civil administration intervened to break it up. In most cases, there was no loss of life. The Native Administration represented at the top of the pyramid, “Sultan” was strong and actively preserved the tribal and ethnic balance in the region and contained the clashes. The arrival of the Bashir government (1989) worked hard to weaken the civil administration by siding with the Arab tribes and granting them broader powers. Moreover, they endeavoured to loosen their grip on power.

An armed movement broke out in Darfur in 2003. Black Sudanese tribes rebelled against the Khartoum government, demanding some rights. The Bashir government appealed to the Arab tribes in the region and other Arab groups from Chad and Niger and provided them with the latest types of weapons. These Arab tribes were pushed to confront the rebellion in Darfur in general and in West Darfur in particular. This force, formed by Arab tribes, later became the Border Guard Forces led by Musa Hilal and then the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti). The tension between the Arab and Black tribes remained present in the region after the fall of the Bashir government (2019). Still, the presence of the central government in Khartoum and its intervention from time to time maintained relative security in the region. However, the Arab militias supported by the Rapid Support Forces continued to attack, especially the city of El Geneina, the capital of the state.

The Militias used to attack the city of El-Geneina from time to time after they eliminated all the surrounding villages and forced the residents of these villages to flee into the city to save their lives.
Since 2019, Arab Militias have attacked IDP camps inside the city of El Geneina several times in Krindeck and Abather camp. They forced already displaced people to flee into the city’s centre and take refuge in government institutions such as offices, schools and squares, especially in the southern sector of the city. Armed Arab militias continued to wait for opportunities to attack IDPs living in shelters inside the city. They planned to eliminate and eradicate IDP camps, but the central government’s presence in Khartoum prevented them from achieving this goal.

Current Context:

In light of this fraught situation between the two sides, the situation exploded in Khartoum. The Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Army confrontation occurred on 15/4/2023. With El Geneina as its capital, West Darfur state was in a tense situation that could explode at any moment. In order to avoid an explosion in the region, and as soon as the security situation deteriorated in Khartoum, the group of civil administrations and community leaders in West Darfur met and signed the “No War” document in the state on 23/4/2023. Unfortunately, the day after the signing of the document, the situation exploded inside El Geneina. 
Our sources unanimously agreed that the first spark began when the armed forces moved from their barracks in the Ardamta area and headed west towards the headquarters of the joint forces. They collided with the Rapid Support Forces stationed nearby, forcing the army to flee into the city and abandon their vehicles and weapon. A credible source from inside the city confirmed that he saw the army escape and some of them take shelter in houses near the site. The source suggests that the army may not have intended and was not prepared for the RSF attack. Noting that Bashir’s government had established what it called strategic stockpiles of weapons in the West Darfur state police headquarters and used them to distribute weapons to Arab militias to counter rebel movements in the past. These arms were in the stores when the situation exploded; some groups in the area seized the opportunity and broke into these stores and seized more than 15,000 heavy and light weapons and various types of ammunition. The seizure of these groups of this quantity of weapons and ammunition helped these groups to defeat the Arab militias on the first day of the outbreak of battles.

This defeat frightened the Arab leadership stationed in the area of “Orbakni and the neighbourhood of the Masar Village on the outskirts of the city and its allies. Consequently, they launched strong appeals for all its elements inside and outside Sudan for help. Arab militias poured from all everywhere in the region. Hence, a series of attacks by Arab tribes and militias began. Since that day these attacks by Arab tribes on the city have been confronted by the desperate defenses of the city’s people and other armed movements.

On June 8, the Arab militias managed to defeat the resistance of the other tribes in the city after killing the state governor, who was himself from the local black tribes. In this movement, the estimated dead victim of this conflict is about 8 thousand innocent people. Most of these dead were a result of direct killing, looting and robbery practised by the Arab militias. These armed Arab groups looted and burned the entire market and destroyed all vital institutions in the city, including schools, hospitals, various state offices, communication centres, and homes of citizens in the neighbourhood of Majlis, Tadamon, Madsriss, Al-Nahda, Al-Thawra and Al-Zohour neighbourhood. People were violated with rape, torture, humiliation and systematic ransacking. Some of the few videos that have reached us showed pictures of soldiers from the Janjaweed storming the neighbourhood of Alsoura using verbal violence against Masalit tribes and boasting that they have eliminated the slaves and Nuba Masalit. Another video shows the Janjaweed soldiers announcing in front of Sultan’s palace that they ended the Masalit Sultanate forever and established the Sultanate of Arabs in its place. The brutality of the Janjaweed forces in murdering and terrorizing the city culminated in the killing of Prince Tariq Abdul Rahman Bahr al-Din, the older brother of Sultan Saad Abdul Rahman, as well as the killing of the governor of the state of West Darfur Khamis Abdullah Abkar, after luring him to a trap. Our sources say their bodies were lying on the roadside for weeks.

War damages so far since the outbreak of the war and until this moment: the Arab tribes imposed a tight siege around the city from all directions and prevented the entry and exit of people, food and medicines to the city. The road between El Geneina and the city of Adre in Chad was subject to the strongest types of sieges. One of the escapees mentioned that there is a Rapid Support barrier about every kilometre away. They search, beat and kill anyone who is accused of being from the Masalit tribe. Others mentioned that this route has become a source of exhaustion and extortion of the fugitives, as the fugitive pays everything he owns to these Arab forces in order to smuggle him to Chad. He may be killed sometimes after he pays. All the sources we spoke with confirmed that the blockade and the destruction of the communications network were intended and formed part of the strategy to abuse the city’s residents in order to drain the people and use them as human shields to avoid any air attack from the Khartoum government.

At the moment of writing this appeal, the Rapid Support Forces and the Arab forces still stopped all the cars heading to Adre, detained them in the middle of the road, and ordered the soldiers to return the fleeing civilians to meet their inevitable fate at the mercy of hunger, thirst and killing inside the city. But after killing the Emir and the Governor, thousands of people left the city in large numbers, most of them women and children, heading towards the Chadian city of Adre, 27 km from El Geneina. Official reports received by human rights organizations, humanitarian organizations, international televisions and popular sources confirm the death of thousands of citizens as a result of deliberate killing or through hunger, thirst or lack of medicine. The Red Cross organization also described the city of El Geneina as the worst spot-on earth these days. Some sources have mentioned that all patients with kidney failure in the city died as a result of the lack of life-saving medicines and deliberate siege. Strategic locations around the city, especially at water sources, are guarded by snipers. They lie in wait and kill anyone who tries to get a drop of water, which means that this war is planned with great precision to take the lives of all the city’s residents. It is a strategy of complete genocide of the one million inhabitants of this city. Our sources say that since the outbreak of the war until now, more than 400,000 people out of the city’s one million residents, most of them children and women, have left. In all of this, the Sudanese army recorded a complete absence. According to our sources, no army in the first place can confront these brutal and ferocious Arab forces. Therefore, the force in the region preferred to take shelter in its barracks to avoid the attacks of the Rapid Support Forces and its followers.

Justification for the Appeal:

1. Complete collapse of all humanitarian services within the city of El Geneina, including food, water, and medicine, and the city’s complete cut-off from the world by disrupting the communications network and the siege imposed on it (governor of West Darfur before his killing on Al-Hadath TV (6/14/2006)

2. The displacement of more than 400,000 people, most of them women and children, to the Chadian city of Adre (The British Sunday Times newspaper, 6/24/2003).
3. The killing of hundreds of young men and men fleeing from El Geneina to Adre of Chad by the Janjaweed forces in an act that is the least described as ethnic cleansing against negro minorities (commentary by Ravina Shamdasni, spokesman for the United Nations Human Rights Office 24/6/2023- and the report of the British Sindhi Times 24 /6/2023)
4. A letter of condemnation and denunciation of the US State Department for the Janjaweed aggression against the state of West Darfur and its description of the aggression that the Janjaweed forces have practised and are still practising in West Darfur as ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity (the US State Department)
5. Intervention of a member of the British House of Commons before the British Parliament, where she described the Janjaweed forces as a terrorist force carrying out the metaphor of ethnic cleansing against the Negro tribes in West Darfur, and her questions about the failure of the British government to intervene the situation (24/6/2003)
6. The Chadian President’s speech to the displaced people in the Chadian city of Adre, where he described the situation of the refugees as the most tragic situation he had seen and appealed to governments, international organizations and friendly countries to rush to save the lives of thousands of fleeing people who are sleeping on the ground and blanketing the sky in the Chadian lands after they lost everything, under extreme climatic conditions. Difficulty with heat and rain.
7. The bodies of hundreds of the dead were scattered inside the city of El Geneina and along the road between the city of El Geneina and the Chadian city of Adre, where these bodies began to decompose due to the rain and excessive heat, which foreshadows a serious environmental and health disaster. (Shamadsni, spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office (24/6) /2023).

Objectives of the Appeal:

We are the sons of El Geneina, with our diverse background representing the fifty (50) tribes and ethnic,  based on the above facts and in the complete absence of any Sudanese government that can carry out its duty to protect the citizens of West Darfur, we consider what is happening so far in our state, especially in the city of El Geneina, as a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing against black people of the city. We, sons of Western Darfur, strongly condemn and denounce this abhorrent, racist, criminal act from all warring parties within the city. We also condemn and denounce the global silence applied towards this urgent humanitarian issue. We cry out and appeal to all those with a merciful heart, including individuals, organizations, and countries, to take immediate action to end this humanitarian disaster in the city of El Geneina. We, the sons of El-Geneina, and in the name of a million people from the city of El Geneina, bear the leadership of the Rapid Support Forces and its leader, Abdul Rahman, Barak Allah, and the leadership of the Arab groups in the Orbukni region, and the Masar Village, with all the crimes that have happened and are still happening against the people of the region and its demands. Our objectives for this appeal

1. An immediate ceasefire between all the fighting forces
2. Urgent humanitarian need for the needy refugees who fled their homes in El Geneina and now live in Adre – Chad.
3. Withdrawal of all fighting parties from the city.
4. Open safe corridors for people who want to flee the city.
5. Protect humanitarian organizations to go into El Geneina and provide services to the remaining population.
6. Make international protection for the people of El Geneina.
7. Restoration of Sultan Saad Abdel Rahman Behar Elden to assume his power in building peace.

The Appeal and Recommendations

This appeal for very urgent humanitarian intervention to support Sudanese refugees from El Geneina, West Darfur state, of Sudan, crossed the border to neighbouring Chad as a result of indiscriminate attacks and aggression by Janjaweed, backed by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) backed by Arab Militia from neighbouring countries (Niger Republic, Mali, Central African Republic, and Chad).

Since the war broke out in Sudan on 15^th April 2023 with attacks on El Geneina city, the capital of West Darfur, and the city has been under siege since early May 2023 with wide-scale human rights abuses documented as:

• Ethnic cleansing targeting the MASSALIT and other tribes is estimated to be 85% of the total population.
• Genocide against all Black population
• Crimes against humanity targeting all the settled population in the city and its surroundings with heinous crimes (killing women, and children, wide-scale rape, ransacking, looting homes &, markets, health institutions and government offices and infrastructure, including the house of the King of Massalit (Sultan).
• The intention of targeting governmental institutions and causing chaos to strengthen their grip on the whole state, murdering of West Darfur State Governor after arresting him by RSF, torturing him before killing him besides, and murdering two relief workers while they are trying to handle and burry dead bodies scattered all over the city.

The affected population fled El Genaina and its surroundings and crossed the border to Chad for a distance of 30 miles on foot with a large-scale exodus of hundreds of thousands of mainly women, children and young adults, leaving behind heads of their families either killed, injured or detained by the aggressors. Since their arrival in the border city of Adre and its surroundings, they settled as refugees in schools, playgrounds and scattered around villages, with some refugees settled within the host community. Other refugees continued their exodus and settled in and around Abeche city. The Chadian government welcomed the refugees, with the country president visiting the city of Adre and supporting the refugees in their first days with food and some basic needs appealing to the international community to assist the refugees.

The purpose of this appeal is to seek humanitarian intervention for the following possible support based on the humanitarian law with the aim:

1. Urgent needs for refugees from the West Darfur state of Sudan crossed the border to neighbouring Chad seeking refuge from the war atrocities stated above. The estimated number of refugees is over 400,000, mainly women, children, elderly men, and young adults. Humanitarian organisations have no official estimate yet as the response is feeble.
2. The trapped population inside ElGeneina city and its surroundings are still under siege and prevented by the Militia supported by Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the remaining people in the city to escape. Still, news from El Geneina city indicates ongoing killing, torture, wide-scale looting and human rights abuses. Here we appeal for the US Government to assist in an intervention in the city of El Geneina to protect the remaining trapped population, provide them with lifesaving support, and ensure the refugees’ return.

Recommendations:

1. Urgently support humanitarian intervention for the refugees in Adre Chad and other areas of the Chadian border with life-saving support, especially when the rainfall season is starting. The following are the recommendations for this urgent need:

• Urgent medical intervention is needed for injured refugees, for maternal and child health, support for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
• General Food rations support and feeding for special groups (malnourished children, pregnant & lactating women).
• Shelter and water and sanitation.
• Provision for basic education for the children.

Urgent needs are detailed below in the next paragraph.

2. Work out possible interventions for the trapped population in ElGeneina city and its surroundings still under siege and aggression by the aggressors. The city is fully controlled by the Arab Militia supported by Rapid Support Forces (RSF), continuing killing and torturing with all kinds of human rights abuses. There is a need for international intervention due to the incapability of the Sudan Government to intervene due to the wide-scale fighting ongoing in the capital city that resulted in a total absence of the government. Here we appeal and recommend that the USA work out a modality to save the remaining population in El Geneina from the ongoing human rights abuses.

Urgent Needs and Request for Humanitarian Intervention

As stated above in our recommendations, there is an urgent need for humanitarian intervention for refugees from the West Darfur state of Sudan who crossed the border to neighbouring Chad for two months with no support or weak support from UN specialized agencies and other International Non-governmental organizations except the support given by the Chadian government and the Chadian President.  The following are the urgent needs to be considered for an estimated number of over 400,000 refugees, mainly women and children represent over 80% of the refugees:

3. Request for logistic support for a survey to detail the refugee population mapped out geographically, with the level of basic needs required.
4. General feeding and food security in the form of food rations form for families based on population food habits for survival.
5. Urgent medical interventions for injured refugees and for other urgent health issues such as:

• Surgical and medical interventions for the injured refugees.
• Maternal and child health care for pregnant, lactating, and women of childbearing age (WCBA).
• Support local clinics & hospitals providing health care for refugees and provision for the establishment of clinics in areas with no available health care for refugees. This includes equipment, staffing, and logistics support.
• Support for essential drugs and medical materials necessary for basic health care.
• Establishment and support of Therapeutic feeding centres and supplementary feeding centres for malnourished children, women, and elders.
• Provision for support for victims of “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD” mainly for women and young girls raped (wide-scale rape by militia and RSF documented) are need for intensive intervention, besides other forms of PSTD due to torture and different human rights abuses (loss of family members and loved ones, loss of property, .etc.
• Consider health education and health promotion with camp visits within the clinics and supplementary feeding centres.

4. Shelter for settlement (tents, blankets, plastic sheeting, basic household items for cooking and hygiene, etc.

5. WATER & SANITATION (WATSAN):

• Provision for safe-drinking water for the refugee community (handpumps, water tankers, vehicles, water reservoirs, etc.), and water for general hygiene and household needs.
• Provision of establishment of pit latrines, mobile pit latrines and bathrooms.
• Support for general individual hygiene and sanitation (soap distribution, establishment of bathrooms, etc.).

Conclusion

 In conclusion, this Appeal aims to alleviate the suffering of the people of West Darfur state of Sudan, who has been under siege and all kinds of aggression name it ethnic cleansing, genocide, and crimes against humanity for over two month and unfortunately forgotten due to the mask made by the ongoing war in Khartoum the capital of Sudan between the Armed forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The tragedy of El Geneina capital of West Darfur state of Sudan, will be remembered for some time to come as a real human tragedy in this century. The pictures below can better illustrate the tragedy (The child in this picture is from ELGENEINA, WEST DARFUR STATE; his name is Osama; a 10-years old boy carried his younger sister Named Hawaya on his back and walked for over 30 miles until he cross the border and enter Chad as refugees). The question remains where his father is, as he mentioned that his mother was killed in front of him, other brothers and sisters, as his facial expression illustrates the whole tragedy of El Geneina of West Darfur Sudan.  

The caption on the picture is by the news channel broadcasted this picture Quote (Development in Sudan – Refugees from West Darfur sate, Sudan arrived in Adre city of Chad).   

This young girl after her village set ablaze with all her family killed while she

were the only surviving members of her family looking of what to do & where to go next.

Our deep thankfulness for any consideration to alleviate this human tragedy of 21 century. Prepared by:

1. Mahmoud Dugdug

E-mail: [email protected] 

             [email protected]

2. Abdelillah Douda:

E-mail: [email protected] 

             [email protected]

3. Isameldin Mirghani

E-mail: [email protected]

             [email protected]