(United Nations) “Credible” information reports “large-scale violence” against the Massalit ethnic group in Darfur, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General expressed concern on Tuesday, denouncing an “escalation” of violence. inter-ethnic violence in Sudan.
“We are seeking to confirm credible information we have received regarding large-scale violence targeting members of the Massalit community in Darfur, particularly in El-Geneina”, the capital of West Darfur, he said. declared Stéphane Dujarric to the press.
This information refers to “violence allegedly committed by Arab militias between November 4 and 6, with the possible complicity of the Rapid Support Forces (FSR)”, paramilitaries at war against the army since mid-April, a- he added.
This would include “targeted killings of men and women” from the non-Arab Massalit ethnic group, “inhumane and degrading treatment and the forced expulsion of Massalit communities who had found refuge in Ardamata, a suburb of El- Geneina and in other areas,” he said, also referring to information concerning violence committed by “members of Massalit militias against members of the Arab community in El-Geneina.”
“Unfortunately, these developments reflect an escalation of inter-ethnic and inter-communal conflicts in Sudan,” the spokesperson stressed, calling on all parties to protect civilians.
Started on April 15, the war between the regular army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and the FSR of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo left more than 9,000 dead according to an estimate by the NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project ( Acled), considered to be largely underestimated.
The RSF intend to reign supreme in Darfur, where the UN fears a possible new “genocide” after that carried out in the early 2000s by their ancestor, the Janjawids, on behalf of the dictator of the time Omar al-Bashir.
This war has also displaced more than six million people, and the UN fears a new wave of displaced people with the intensification of fighting, particularly in Darfur.
Last week, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami estimated that the violence in Sudan bordered on “absolute evil. »