Khartoum’s Tuti Island residents plead for evacuation as conditions worsen
October 5, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Trapped residents of Tuti Island in Khartoum are pleading for urgent evacuation as fighting intensifies and conditions worsen, with reports of rampant looting and intimidation by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Tuti Island Emergency Room issued a desperate call on Facebook for local and international organizations to help evacuate civilians, saying they have “lost all necessities of life” in recent days.
“The security situation has deteriorated sharply, with a surge in armed home robberies,” the emergency room said, adding that residents are facing “increased looting and intimidation” by the RSF.
The island, located at the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, has been under siege since the early days of the conflict that erupted in mid-April. It has become a key battleground and a base for RSF artillery fire targeting southern Omdurman.
Clashes have intensified since Tuesday when the army launched a ground offensive in several areas, including the Al-Mugran area facing the island.
The “Tuti Sons Abroad Committee” issued an urgent appeal for humanitarian intervention, calling for an end to the siege and a halt to what it described as “mass death.”
According to the committee, the island faces severe shortages of medicine and food, and disease outbreaks are spreading. The RSF has looted community kitchens, the only source of food for many residents.
“The lives of Tuti Island residents have become unbearable due to escalating assaults and abuse,” the Khartoum Emergency Room said.
An eyewitness told Sudan Tribune that the RSF has evacuated some families whose sons are fighting in their ranks.
The RSF is restricting residents’ movements, charging exorbitant fees to cross the bridge, and demanding ransoms for the release of detainees, added the Khartoum Emergency Room.
Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune that RSF fighters have looted shops after closing them down and are roaming the streets, engaging in violence and theft.