Sudan: EU and UN alarmed by violence after massacre in Ardamata
Following in the footsteps of the UK, the US and the EU, the UN is alarmed by the "large-scale" violence in Sudan, following the attack by General Hemedti's Rapid Support Forces on the town of Ardamata, a few kilometres from El-Geneina, in Darfur. Credible testimonies point to more than 1,000 deaths in two days, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. This concern was shared by the spokesman for the UN secretary-general, who said on Tuesday evening that this was evidence of "an escalation of inter-ethnic and inter-communal conflicts in Sudan".
The escalation of inter-ethnic violence has worried the international community, particularly in Darfur, after a massacre in the town of Ardamata, near El-Geneina (illustration image) © AFP
By: RFI Follow
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Ten days ago, General Hemedti's Rapid Support Forces launched an offensive on an army position in Ardamata, a few kilometres from El-Geneina. After quickly routing the Sudanese army, the RSF turned against the inhabitants, the majority of whom are ethnic Masalit.
According to several sources, the violence lasted two to three days, including targeting a camp for displaced people, said Hussein Harran, a human rights activist who fled El-Geneina a few weeks ago. "They targeted houses, the refugee camp and killed many people. They killed all men, children and women. We also heard that there had been rapes. The RSF targeted leaders of the Masalit community, one of whom was killed in his home with his entire family. It's a real crisis, a genocide.
»Ten days later, the number of casualties is still uncertain - the area under paramilitary control is difficult to access. But several organizations say more than 1,000 people have died.
Several thousand displaced people have also fled the city, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The organization is also preparing for a new influx of refugees into neighbouring Chad, adding that "more than 8,000people have already crossed the border in the last week alone."
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