Death toll in RSF siege of Wad Ashib climbs to 69

November 20, 2024 (WAD MADANI) – The death toll from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) siege of the town of Wad Ashib in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state has risen to 69, a local monitoring group said on Wednesday, with 42 people shot dead by the paramilitary force.

The RSF stormed Wad Ashib late last week as part of a retaliatory offensive in areas east of Al Jazirah. The ensuing siege, which included restrictions on movement, has led to a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food and medicine, according to the Al Jazirah Conference, a civilian group that monitors rights violations.

“The number of martyrs who fell at the hands of the RSF militia in the village of Wad Ashib has risen to 69,” the Al Jazirah Conference said in a statement. “The militia killed 42 of them by shooting on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, while 27 others died due to the siege and lack of treatment.”

The statement added that the RSF looted and terrorized residents. Witnesses said RSF fighters forced large numbers of residents, including women, children and the elderly, from their homes. They are now sheltering on the banks of the Blue Nile with inadequate access to sanitation, shelter, medicine and food.

The RSF has controlled most of Al Jazirah state since late last year. The paramilitary force has been accused of widespread abuses, including killing, looting, arbitrary arrests and forced displacement. RSF leaders deny these accusations, blaming the violence on “outlaws” and groups linked to military intelligence.