RSF offer to protect Al-Jazirah villages in exchange for recruiting youth

December 30, 2023 (WAD MADANI) – In a troubling development, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have controlled Al-Jazira State for two weeks, have imposed a condition on villagers: join their ranks in exchange for protection.

Since invading the state on December 18, the RSF have deployed dozens of outposts throughout Wad Madani and nearby towns. Their presence has been marked by widespread theft, looting, and serious violations against civilians. Hundreds of cars, agricultural machinery, and other valuables have been stolen. Also, the RSF have even seized tens of tons of humanitarian aid.

In some villages, residents have been forced to negotiate with the RSF in the hopes of securing protection from banditry. In other towns, the RSF have engaged in large-scale invasions, committing acts of violence against civilians.

Residents in three unnamed towns, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisals, described their failed attempts to negotiate with RSF officers. They were told that the only way to ensure their villages remained untouched was to hand over 1,000 young men from the area to join the RSF ranks.

The RSF’s heavy-handed tactics have also extended to the Haj Abdallah area, where they have imposed a tight siege, cutting off vital services like water, electricity, and communication. Hundreds of civilians remain trapped in these dire conditions, with no access to basic necessities.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which erupted in mid-April, has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in the country. Estimates by local and international organizations put the death toll at over 12,000, with tens of thousands more injured.

In Khartoum State, residents of the Abbasiya neighbourhood in Omdurman are facing similar pressures. The RSF has ordered them to evacuate their homes, citing the area’s proximity to a war zone with the army.

Several Omdurman neighbourhoods are experiencing a military escalation, with artillery shelling exchanges between the army and the RSF. The army has deployed large numbers of troops near the Popular Market, where violent clashes are taking place with the RSF elements, who are stationed there.

(ST)