RSF delegation in Geneva for talks aimed at ceasing hostilities and facilitating

Since the arrival of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) delegation in Geneva for talks aimed at ceasing hostilities and facilitating humanitarian aid, organized by international and regional sponsors, we have witnessed a deeply troubling escalation in Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) airstrikes on densely populated civilian areas.

Over the past week, as negotiations commenced, horrific crimes have been committed, resulting in the tragic loss of hundreds of innocent lives. These indiscriminate bombings have unleashed widespread devastation on both public and private infrastructure, further deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Acting under orders from SAF commanders and the terrorist Islamic Movement, the SAF has conducted systematic and relentless airstrikes, with numerous air bombing campaigns executed within a single week.

These assaults have caused extensive damage to essential infrastructure, including residential neighborhoods, hospitals, markets, water stations, schools, bridges, places of worship, and livestock facilities.

The toll of these attacks is as follows:

Thurs., Aug. 15:

SAF warplanes bombed the Central Market in Khartoum, killing more than 80 civilians. In the area of Beika in Gezira State, seven people were killed. An attack on Al-Kuma Hospital in North Darfur resulted in six deaths and the destruction of patient wards. Additionally, Morni Bridge in Central Darfur and Kabkabiya in North Darfur were bombed, leading to four more deaths. Twelve people were killed in El Fasher, North Darfur, with bombings also targeting Babanusa in West Kordofan and Geneina in West Darfur.

Fr.i, Aug. 16:

SAF warplanes targeted Um Banein and Karakoj in Sennar State, killing 18 people. Bombings in Jebel Amer, North Darfur, resulted in three deaths, while attacks in the northern neighborhoods of El Fasher killed 16 people and completely destroyed the land port in Wad Madani.

Sat., Aug. 17:

Airstrikes on Al-Kuma, North Darfur, resulted in nine deaths, while Jebel Amer saw six more deaths. Gandahar Market in Omdurman was bombed, killing over 27 people. Additionally, Karur Market in Omdurman was attacked, resulting in the deaths of seven to 10 people. In Block 40, Ombada, West Omdurman, two people were killed.

Sun., Aug. 18:

Renewed bombings in El Fasher led to 10 more deaths, alongside attacks on the eastern neighborhoods of Khartoum.

Mon., Aug. 19:

SAF warplanes bombed the market and water station in Mellit, North Darfur, killing nine people in El Fasher.

Tues., Aug. 20:

SAF warplanes targeted a hospital, market, police station, and school in Al-Da’ein, East Darfur, killing 13 people. Another indiscriminate airstrike on Tiwaisha in North Darfur resulted in seven deaths. In Al-Hasaheisa, Gezira State, 18 people were killed, and 14 more lost their lives in El Fasher, North Darfur, due to aerial attacks.

These figures are preliminary estimates, and the actual death toll is likely to rise as many more have been injured.

The brutal and indiscriminate nature of these attacks by the SAF and its terrorist backers from the Islamic Movement demonstrates a blatant disregard for international and regional efforts to end the suffering of the Sudanese people. In their desperation, they have adopted a scorched-earth strategy, deliberately targeting innocent civilians along regional and ethnic lines.

We unequivocally condemn these inhumane actions and call upon the international community, human rights organizations, and all entities concerned with humanitarian issues to denounce this barbaric behavior. It is imperative that they fulfill their moral and legal obligations in addressing the ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity that have plagued Sudan since the onset of this conflict on April 15, 2023.

The use of airstrikes as a tool of oppression has been a longstanding strategy of the former regime and the SAF dating back to the 1990s, encompassing the war in the south, as well as the conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan.

These airstrikes have claimed hundreds of thousands of innocent lives and displaced millions in Darfur and other regions across the country.

The continued perpetration of crimes against unarmed civilians and the systematic violation of their rights have compelled our forces to take up arms in defense of the people. We will free them from the clutches of the extremist Islamic Movement that controls the SAF through conscienceless generals, who show absolute loyalty to this terrorist organization that seeks to reclaim power through military and security means.

We affirm our unwavering commitment to ending the dominance of this corrupt regime, which has driven our country into poverty and chaos. We firmly believe that the true path to resolving Sudan's crisis lies in liberating the military from political entanglement and restoring it to its rightful role as a protector of our nation, not a tool of oppression.

Office of the Official Spokesperson 
Rapid Support Forces