SOUTH DARFUR – The Sudan Doctors’ Network has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing a “heinous crime” on Thursday evening in the Thawra neighborhood of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State. According to a statement released by the medical network on Friday, RSF personnel killed a woman and abducted five young men from the area, taking them to an undisclosed location.
The group said it has no information on the fate or whereabouts of the abducted men. “This incident constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and a direct threat to the lives of civilians and community peace,” the statement read.
The RSF, which seized control of Nyala during the ongoing conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), has increasingly tightened its grip on the city. Last month, the paramilitary group declared the formation of a parallel de facto government in Nyala, appointing its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, as the head of a newly announced 15-member presidential council.
In its strongly worded statement, the Sudan Doctors’ Network held the RSF “fully responsible” for the Thursday night incident and demanded “the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted individuals.”
“The Sudan Doctors’ Network calls for the urgent and effective protection of civilians,” the statement added, stressing the need for guarantees to safeguard lives amid the deteriorating security situation in Darfur.
The group further appealed to the international community, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and all the relevant actors to “assume their moral and humanitarian responsibilities toward the civilian population in Darfur.”
The incident adds to the growing list of grave violations committed by the RSF since the outbreak of war in April 2023. In Darfur, where the humanitarian situation continues to spiral, the RSF currently controls four out of five states in the region. The paramilitary force has been accused of repeated atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, exacerbating the suffering of civilians in a region already burdened by decades of conflict.
Humanitarian organizations and rights groups have consistently raised alarms over the RSF’s conduct in Darfur, citing forced displacement targeted killings, sexual violence, and arbitrary detentions. The latest events in Nyala have intensified fears among residents and civil society groups of an entrenched pattern of abused under RSF control.
As families in Thawra neighborhood anxiously await news about their missing loved ones, calls for accountability are growing louder. The Sudan Doctors’ Network reiterated its demand for justice and the protection of medical personnel and civilians alike, urging the international community to intervene before the situation further deteriorates.
With the RSF expanding its administrative and military footprint across Darfur, concerns are mounting that violations such as the Nyala abductions will continue unchecked unless decisive action is taken.
