The European Union (EU) has issued a stark warning about the looming threat of “another genocide” in the troubled region of Darfur
This caution comes against the backdrop of increased instability since April, sparked by the conflict between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
On Sunday, the EU strongly condemned what it termed as the “ethnic cleansing” perpetrated by the RSF paramilitary against Darfur’s Masalit people in western Sudan.
These latest atrocities are seemingly part of a wider ethnic cleansing campaign conducted by the RSF with the aim to eradicate the non-Arab Masalit community from West Darfur, and comes on top of the first wave of large violence in June,
The international community cannot turn a blind eye on what is happening in Darfur and allow another genocide to happen in this region, Josep Borrell, top diplomat started.
The RSF is engaged in a fierce struggle against army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Disturbing reports cited by the EU indicate that the RSF’s actions have resulted in the tragic loss of over 1,000 lives.
Since April, the conflict has unfolded between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, effectively Sudan’s head of state, and the RSF under the command of his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The RSF’s roots trace back to the Janjaweed militias, who previously aligned with the Khartoum government to suppress rebel groups in Darfur from 2003 to 2008. Notably, these rebel factions included members of the Masalit tribe.
This turbulent period gave rise to widespread abuses against civilians, with approximately 300,000 lives lost and over 2 million individuals displaced in Darfur between 2003 and 2008.
The EU’s alert underscores the urgent need for international attention and intervention to address the escalating crisis in Darfur.
