Civilians trapped in North Khartoum Bahri face RSF abuses, starvation

October 18, 2024 (KHARTOUM BAHRI) – Residents of areas in northern Khartoum Bahri that remain outside of army control are facing a dire situation, with reports of renewed violence by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), acute food shortages, and a deadly outbreak of disease, local sources told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

These sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said RSF fighters have returned to the Halfaya suburb, where they are conducting house-to-house searches, arbitrarily detaining, beating, and humiliating civilians accused of collaborating with the army.

This comes after the army declared it had seized control of Halfaya and the surrounding areas of Kadru and Al-Azirqab in a late September offensive. However, the RSF subsequently released videos showing their continued presence in the southern part of Halfaya, which borders the Shambat neighbourhood.

The RSF has imposed a blockade on southern Halfaya and the Al-Samrab neighbourhood, cutting off access to essential supplies and leading to widespread hunger. Adding to the suffering, a lack of medical care has allowed an unidentified fever to spread rapidly, claiming lives, including an entire family – a father, mother, and two children – in Al-Samrab.

“People are dying here from fever. There is no medicine, no way to get help,” one resident of Al-Samrab told Sudan Tribune.

Meanwhile, in Shambat, the RSF has re-established checkpoints, severely restricting movement. Residents are unable to reach the central market to buy food or cross the Halfaya bridge to safety in Omdurman. Those remaining rely on handouts from community kitchens and fear being caught in the crossfire as the army attempts to push southwards.

“We are trapped,” a Shambat resident explained. We can’t get food or medicine, and we are terrified of the fighting coming here.”

“People are starving,” one source said. “Families are dying from fever because there is no medicine and no way to get to a doctor.” In the Al-Samrab neighbourhood, an entire family – a mother, father, and two children – reportedly perished from an unknown illness within two days.

An army source, who also asked not to be named, revealed that an army truck was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile fired from an RSF position in Shambat on Thursday. The source added that the RSF is using high-rise buildings in the area as sniper nests and launching pads for attacks, hindering the army’s advance.

The RSF has held most of Khartoum Bahri since the conflict erupted in mid-April. This latest report paints a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in areas where they retain control, highlighting the urgent need for increased aid access and a cessation of hostilities.