The RSF and Its Violence Against Resistance Committees: In Mass Human Rights Violations

Since the war between the RSF and the SAF erupted on April 15, Resistance Committees placed themselves as the first and front liners regarding humanitarian support, turning into ‘Central Emergency Rooms’ one at each of Khartoum’s seven localities and each central room has a subsidiary room within neighborhoods. The central emergency rooms functioned as field facilitators, providing updates about food and supplies, whereabouts of transportation, mobile clinics, reporting missing people, and more.

During this period, civil volunteers and resistance committee members faced enormous security concerns from both warring parties, especially the RSF. The violence committed by the RSF, resistance committees, and volunteers can be categorized into two types:

Intimidation and Indiscriminate Arrests: As resistance committees’ members and volunteers are the only ‘organized groups’ within warzone areas, they face indiscriminate arrests as the RSF suspects them to be intelligence officers or SAF personnel. During their arrests, they experienced intimidation and physical harm, and their belongings were taken away for good. Some remain arrested for more extended periods, especially well-known radical resistance members, namely the “Ghadiboun Without Limits” group, in which most members enlisted with the SAF and are fighting on the front lines. A noted member, Mahdi Kammon, was arrested and later released by the RSF.

Gender-Based Violence: As most health facilities were shut down due to its officials fleeing war, the central emergency rooms internally turned local primary healthcare centers into emergency clinics providing direct health services. Volunteers conduct frequent in-house surveys to assist the monthly needs, which is when violence committed by the RSF occurs, especially GBV. There have been many reports regarding such violations, the last one being this week stating, ‘a female volunteer being sexually assaulted by the RSF”.

As this war continues, the humanitarian situation worsens daily; security concerns and food security are the top ones. Many humanitarian actors have called for more funds and a ceasefire to help assist the ones in need as the country is heading into a nationwide crisis.