Sudan lawyers accuse RSF of besieging Tuti Island
KHARTOUM, Sudan (October 2, 2023) – Sudanese lawyers on Monday accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of imposing a siege on Tuti Island in Khartoum, restricting the movement of people and consumer goods, and worsening the health and living conditions of the population.
Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been suffering from fighting between the army and the RSF that began in Khartoum and expanded to include large areas in Darfur and Kordofan. The fighting has caused a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced internally and externally.
A statement issued by Emergency Lawyers, a legal group that monitors violations during the war, said: “The Rapid Support Forces have been besieging Tuti Island since the first days of the war. They have closed the bridge, the only land route linking the island to the capital, and are restricting the movement of people, consumer goods, and life-saving medicines. They have also prevented river transport by boat, leading to starvation and the deaths of some people due to lack of healthcare, medicine, and food.”
The statement revealed that several complaints have been filed alleging the deaths of three civilians due to lack of treatment, including a girl with diabetes who died due to lack of insulin.
Tuti Island is located at the confluence of the White Nile and Blue Nile rivers and is surrounded by the three cities of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri.
The statement also discussed the suffering caused by a two-month power outage and water outages, forcing people to drink directly from wells and the Nile, leading to malaria and diarrhoea.
It explained that the siege imposed on civilians on the island is considered a serious violation of international humanitarian law by starving citizens and forcibly displacing them.
The statement held the RSF fully responsible for the catastrophic humanitarian situation experienced by the citizens of Tuti Island. It urged the international community to address these violations, which violate international humanitarian law and the statute of the International Criminal Court. It also called for humanitarian assistance through the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sudan, given the tragic situation on the island.
Emergency Lawyers had previously revealed that they possessed evidence indicating the army’s desire to impose a siege on the Ambda locality, located west of Omdurman, the most significant part of which is controlled by the RSF, by placing restrictions on the movement of merchants.
(ST)