Sudan army govt accuses paramilitaries of causing 120 civilian deaths in 2 days

Janjaweed militia massacres 120 in Sudan's Al-Jazira state, looting, detaining civilians, intensifying attacks, displacing thousands.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry accused paramilitaries late Thursday (November 7, 2024) of causing at least 120 civilian deaths over two days in Al-Jazira State, Sudan's pre-war breadbasket where fighting has raged since last month.

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"The Janjaweed militia (paramilitaries) committed a new massacre in the town of Hilaliya in Al-Jazira state over the past two days, resulting in 120 martyrs so far, killed either by gunfire or due to food poisoning and lack of medical care affecting hundreds of civilians," the Ministry said in a statement.

The army-backed government routinely refers to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) it has been fighting since April 2023 as Janjaweed, an infamous militia recruited by the then government in Khartoum to suppress an ethnic minority rebellion in the western region of Darfur two decades ago.

The Sudan's Doctors Union said that "after looting and stealing all the possessions of residents in Hilaliya, the militia detained people inside mosques, only allowing them to leave after paying large sums, which are impossible to afford after the extensive looting and theft".

Witnesses say that the RSF has imposed a two-week siege on the town, preventing residents from leaving.

The RSF recently intensified attacks against civilians in Al-Jazira state after one of its key commanders defected to the regular army.