DARFUR Union in the UK:- Zalingei the Forgotten Piece; RSF are Running Havoc, Killing People and Lo

04:03 PM July, 02 2023

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DARFUR Union in the UK:- Zalingei the Forgotten Piece; RSF are Running Havoc, Killing People and Looting the City Teaching Hospital

The latest from Zalingei is that the situation is still tense and dire, with sporadic violence against the remaining population and looting of their belonging by Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The town has been under siege by RSF/ Janjaweed since May 2023, and the UN estimates that thousands people have been displaced from their homes. The Zalingei Teaching Hospital has been looted and is no longer operational, and there are severe shortages of food and medicines. The UN has called for an immediate stop of violence and selected targeting of the civilians and for humanitarian access to the town.
Here are some specific recent developments:
On June 27, 2023, the UN said that it had received reports of renewed fighting in Zalingei by between RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), with civilians caught in the crossfire.
On July 1, 2023, the Darfur Bar Association said that it had received reports of paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) surrounding Zalingei, raising fears of imminent attacks.
On July 1, 2023, the UN Human Rights Office said that it was "deeply concerned" about the situation in Zalingei. The UN Human Rights Office said that it had received reports of "serious human rights violations", including arbitrary arrests, torture and sexual violence. The UN Human Rights Office called for an immediate investigation into the alleged violations.
On July 1, 2023, the BBC reported that a resident of Zalingei had described a "catastrophic" situation of widespread looting and displacement. The resident said that "the most dangerous thing now is that all food supplies have run out."
The situation in Zalingei is extremely volatile, and it is difficult to say when or if the violence against the population will end. The UN and other humanitarian organisations mentioned that they are working to provide assistance to the people of Zalingei, but the situation remains dire, with complete block of access to the city caused by the RSF/ Janjaweed. Accounts from the survivors focused on selected targeting on basis of ethnicity that resulted in mass killing and also torture. The communication via phone network is unavailable with limited access to some satellite phone. The individuals that were deemed “lucky” managed to escape the city with no belongings, some were barefoot just carrying their children.
For the civilians remained behind and still trapped in the city, some have decided that it is safer for them to remain together in one place as a collective in schools rather than smaller groups each in their own homes/houses. The new conditions has but further restrain on medical and food supplies as the people are not able to go back to their homes to bring remaining grains and medicines. Thus, creating mini IDPs with no access to any aid agencies. This is a continuation to the war crimes and crimes against the humanity that were committed under the stewardship of Omar al-Bashir, former president and International Criminal Court (ICC) indictee for the aforementioned crimes and the mother of all crimes, Genocide (ref. 1); some of which were carried out by Janjaweed in Zalingei back then (ref. 2)

During times like this, it is important to continue calling a spade a spade; RSF is the perpetrator against the people of Darfur, and in this case the people of Zalingei; the army are failing completely to protect the civilians. The people of the city were left to either run for their lives or stay in clusters/ groups in public places within the city to minimise their human losses.

DARFUR Union send an appeal to the international community that they must continue to pressure the RSF to end the siege and to allow access to the city to address the severe food and medicines shortages to cater to the civilians of Zalingei.

The following actions are needed to be taken with immediate effect to help cater for the victims of this catastrophic situation:-

* To put pressure the leadership of the Rapid Support Forces and its affiliated Janjaweed branches to stop the violence and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need. This will help in terms of humanitarian organisations to collect real data on the death toll and also help in burying the bodies that are scattered on the ground in Zalingei.

* Establish safe zones in Darfur where civilians can be protected from the Janjaweed militias. This can only happen by empowering existing peace forces and providing them with a clear Mandate.

* Reactivation of Chapter 7 with respect to DARFUR. The UN Security Council needs to act immediately to do so to stop the war crimes and crimes against humanity that we are seen before the world eyes. Everyday a testimony is given from the survivors of the ethnic cleansing whom managed to escape Zalingei. Mass killing, bodies left on streets. The Janjaweed and their partners are clear about their plan regarding DARFUR, secure DARFUR by creating havoc and mass atrocities, force displacement and demographic changes.

* Provide immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Darfur, by securing safe passages of aid from Port Sudan to the affected areas, including food, water, shelter, medicine and other humanitarian supplies.

* Protect those IDPs and new waves of displace people that are shelterless at this very moment in DARFUR.

DARFUR Union in the UK warns that failure to take immediate actions regarding the situation in Darfur, will lead to series of further killing and human rights violations (ref. 3) and a nonreversible human catastrophe.

Final thoughts, the areas that we cite in our reports are full of history and have many wonderful memories and wonderful individuals and collective of people. It is important narrative during these disastrous times to remind ourselves nationwide and internationally that the people of Sudan here have a voice and use to live normal life at some point, one to reference is a memory of medical doctor from the 1971-1972, with specific mentioning of the Teaching hospital (ref. 4) which allows the reader to draw parallels between the now and then.

The juntas, Janjaweed and their allies from the political parties in the centre have caused this war, and the people of Sudan in the city of Zalingei and other cities are suffering the outcome because of the political greed that justify the means of achieving their ultimate goal of gaining absolute power.

Darfur Union in the UK

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