tonight, people all around the world will celebrate the new year. they will celebrate as the massacres, the burning of bodies / mass burials, and the systemic sexual violence in Sudan continues. the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces ( RSF ) controls Sudan's Darfur region, since they violently siezed the city of el-Fasher – the Sudanese army's last stronghold in the region – on October 26.
RSF fighters openly boast about massacring 7,000 people within only five days. this includes over 500 doctors, nurses, & patients in the Saudi Maternity Hospital.
' our job is only killing ' – says RSF commander – who goes by ' Abu Lulu ' online – before he executes an unarmed man.
the true number of deaths in el-Fasher is unknown. this is due to the absence of aid groups ( complete blockade on the city ), internet blackout, and absence of media / journalists. al Jazeera correspondent Muammar Ibrahim is currently held in RSF detention.
however, satellite imagery and survivor testimonies provide us an insight into conditions on the ground. el-Fasher is facing famine conditions, as is Sudan as a whole. an estimated 21.2 million – 45% of the population – faces high levels of acute food insecurity ( IPC3+ ).
burning vehicles, burning buildings, mass graves, and what seems to be piles of bodies can be seen from the sky.
out of the masses who fled to shelter at the nearby town Tawila, tens of thousands are still unaccounted for – or missing. those who make it to Tawila recount families paying ransoms, men tortured or shot, parents killed, leaving children unaccompanied. people have been shot for being unable to pay ransom. people have been shot on the basis of their ethnicity. ( x, x )
don't forget that hundreds are being killed in Sudan's Kordofan – at least 104 civilians have been killed in RSF drone strikes recently ( December 17 ). RSF artillery strikes then killed 16 civilians only two days later.
the RSF is also launching attacks on the key city Babnusa. literally, Babnusa is the SAF's only gateway to the Darfur region.
what can you do to help ?
why not donate to these trusted organisations on the ground ? ( more on these organisations here )
👉 SAPA
👉 SEDSO
please don't stop applying pressure on your elected officials. the Irish Government / media hasn't done nearly enough for our brothers & sisters in Sudan or Palestine. I have laid out email templates directed at Irish Government representatives / media workers, demanding swift action and accurate reporting on the horrors we see in Sudan and Gaza.
these messages are already typed out and ready to use. you only have to copy - paste the message, edit the text however you wish ( optional ), sign your name, then finally send your email to the provided email addresses. please consider sending an email or two, you don't have to be in Ireland ^^
this website by the Sudanese diaspora also has email templates, actions toolkits, fundraisers and more !
reminder to also BOYCOTT THE UAE ! as they fund the RSF to exploit Sudan's natural resources. CANCEL YOUR TRIP TO DUBAI !
thank you for reading.
in sincere solidarity,
-Holly xx