Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Nigeria, Ahmed Omer Jaboul, has reached out to the Nigerian government and ECOWAS to resolve the ongoing conflict between the military and Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Disclosing that about 260 civilians have been killed in the conflict since October 20, the envoy warned that the war could escalate to neighboring countries if not taken seriously.
The war which started in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the army’s former paramilitary allies, (RSF) escalated on October 20 after the RSF area’s key commander was reported to have defected to government forces.
It began when tensions between the RSF and the army jostling for position ahead of an internationally backed transition to civilian rule, erupted into open conflict.
The army and the RSF had previously shared power after staging a coup in 2021, two years after veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a popular uprising.
Since then, about 11 million have been internally displaced and 3.1 million have fled to neighbouring countries, and the numbers continue to increase.
Briefing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Jaboul described the Sudanese Army led by General Abdel Fattah as the legitimate government in Sudan, noting that there has been misleading information on the genesis of the crisis.
Jaboul alleged that the RSF has mobilised more than 100,000 mercenaries from different African countries to fight the government, using heavy weapons against unarmed civilians.
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“After 18 months of the crisis, the situation is still very terrible. Massacre has been done by the militia in the last two weeks. More than 260 civilians have been killed for nothing. Most of these civilians are very innocent, unarmed citizens who have nothing to do with the crisis,” he said.
He said the Sudanese Army has taken over the larger part of the capital, Khartoum, adding that the militia was now targeting soft spots.
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According to him, the RSF forces have started “taking the houses of civilians, and they are destroying including banks, water, and power stations”.
While calling on the international community to design the militia group as terrorists, the envoy warned that the crisis might escalate to neighboring countries if not taken seriously.
He lamented that the silence and indifference of the International community towards the crimes only emboldened the “Militia and its regional sponsor to continue committing massacre and acts of genocide with impunity.
