Latest news with #Jean-BaptisteGallopin
Middle East Eye
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Sudanese pro-army militia accused of 'war crimes' after targeting civilians
A militia allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has been accused of war crimes in Sudan after an attack on a village in January that left at least 26 civilians dead, including one child. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the Sudan Shield Forces, which supports the SAF in its fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), "intentionally" targeted the village of Tayba on 10 January. The New York-based rights group said the militia also systematically looted civilian property, including food supplies, and set fire to houses. The Sudan Shield Forces, along with other allied militias, attacked civilians in al-Jazira state who they perceived to be aligned with the RSF. Tayba is 30km east of al-Jazira's capital, Wad Madani, and home to people primarily from the Tama, Bergo and Mararit ethnic groups. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Eyewitnesses told HRW that members of the Sudan Shield Forces, formed in 2022 mainly from Arab communities of al-Jazira state, hurled racist abuse at locals while attacking the village. They described widespread "looting of money, food, and livestock, including 2,000 cattle". "Armed groups fighting alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces have carried out violent abuses against civilians in their latest offensive in Gezira state," said Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, senior crisis, conflict and arms researcher at HRW. "The Sudanese authorities should urgently investigate all reported abuses and hold to account those responsible, including the commanders of the Sudan Shield Forces." Sudan's RSF massacres 433 people as it forms parallel 'peace government' Read More » War has raged in Sudan since April 2023, with millions displaced and both sides accused of war crimes and human rights abuses. The conflict has displaced more than 10 million people, and left over 12 million facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Thousands are estimated to have been killed. The RSF, which is backed by the UAE and has been accused of committing genocide by the US and human rights groups, controls most of Darfur and parts of Khartoum and the region of Kordofan. Last week it launched a brutal three-day attack, killing 433 people in White Nile state, as its leaders arrived in Kenya to announce a parallel "peace and unity" government. Sudan's foreign ministry said infants were among those killed in White Nile in what it describes as "the worst atrocity" committed by the RSF since "the genocide in Geneina and Ardamita" in August and November 2023. "This horrific massacre confirms that the militia's war is actually against the entire Sudanese people," the ministry added. Emergency Lawyers, a group of lawyers who monitor the war in Sudan, said the RSF attacked unarmed civilians, including women and children, in al-Kadaris and al-Khalwat, villages in rural parts of el-Geteina in White Nile state. It said that the paramilitary group carried out field executions, kidnappings, enforced disappearances and looting of property, putting the death toll at 200.
Al Jazeera
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Sudan army allies intentionally targeting civilians: HRW
Armed groups fighting alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been intentionally targeting civilians, an international NGO on human rights says. In a report released on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said forces aligned with the military government have attacked villagers in central Sudan and committed acts that may amount to war crimes, and urged an investigation. International human rights organisations have repeatedly accused SAF's opponent, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), of carrying out ethnic cleansing and even genocide during 20 months of vicious civil war. But reports of abuses by the army have also been common. In the report, HRW said SAF-aligned groups, including the Sudan Shield Forces, the al-Baraa Ibn Malik battalion and local militias, may also be committing war crimes. 'Armed groups fighting alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces have carried out violent abuses against civilians in their latest offensive in Gezira state,' Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, senior crisis, conflict and arms researcher at HRW, said. The HRW report documented that in an attack on January 10, the Sudan Shield Forces attacked the village of Tayba, in the Gezira state, killing at least 26 people, including a child, and injuring others. Witnesses said armed fighters who spoke of their chief as Abu Aqla Keikel, leader of the Sudan Shield Forces, shot indiscriminately at residents and went from house to house looking for men and boys to execute. They were also reported to have looted the village and set buildings on fire. The survivors' accounts were corroborated by satellite imagery, photographs and videos verified by HRW, which said the incident was one among several attacks against communities perceived to be RSF supporters in the region after the army recaptured them from the paramilitary group last month. The SAF has condemned the abuse and pledged to hold the perpetrators accountable. However, it insisted that the actions were 'individual transgressions'. Tayba residents said government investigators had visited the site and interviewed key witnesses, and added that the Joint Force of the Armed Movements, an SAF-aligned coalition, had deployed forces to protect the population. However, HRW noted that SAF generals, including General Yasir al-Atta, who sits on Sudan's ruling Sovereign Council, have publicly appeared with Keikel since January 10, and praised his contribution to the war effort. Gallopin said the Sudanese authorities should urgently investigate all reported abuses and hold to account those responsible, including the commanders of the Sudan Shield Forces.
