RSF extort money from Al-Jazirah residents under guise of protection
July 11, 2024 (ABU QOUTA) – The Resistance Committees of Abu Qouta in the Al Jazirah state of central Sudan reported on Thursday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been extorting money from the city’s residents under the pretence of protecting them from looting.
The RSF seized control of Al Jazirah state late last year and quickly began committing horrific abuses against its residents, including fighting, kidnapping, sexual violence, forced displacement, looting, humiliation, and intimidation.
In a statement received by Sudan Tribune, the Abu Qouta Resistance Committees said, “The RSF continues to impose a daily fee of 70,000 ($30) to 90,000 ($40) Sudanese pounds on the city’s residents, claiming it is for protection against looting.”
The committees indicated that the RSF threatened to withdraw protection from the city if the amount was not paid or could not be paid. They emphasized that all aspects of life in the area have ceased, with the market closed, cash unavailable, and a severe shortage of food and medicine.
Abu Qouta is located south of Al Hasahisa, the second-largest commercial area in Al Jazirah state after its capital, Wad Madani.
The Abu Qouta Resistance Committees held the RSF responsible for the protection of civilians and demanded that no money be extorted from them, especially since they lacked the means to provide for their daily needs after the loss of their sources of income. They stressed that all forces attacking civilians are elements of the RSF.
On Tuesday, RSF forces attacked the village of Al Ghadir, which is affiliated with Abu Qouta, for looting. The residents resisted, and the RSF opened fire, injuring several people.
The RSF has been continuously attacking villages and the city of Abu Qouta, a major centre for thousands of farmers who grow wheat, cotton, peanuts, and vegetables on lands belonging to the Al Jazirah schema.