Rapid Support Force killed two civilians in Keyla South Darfur, West Sudan:

On Saturday, April 4, 2020, members of the Rapid Support Force committed a heinous crime against two unarmed civilians who were on their way to their homes in Keyla village in South Darfur. The assault resulted in the killing of two men, namely:

1- Ibrahim Omer Isaac, 56 years old;

2- Abdelrasoul Abdulla Hassan, 50 years old.

Both were married with children.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident took place around 5 pm when the men who were returning to the village after doing some shopping at the Al Malam market, were directly shot at by two armed men who were riding on a motorcycle belonging to the Rapid Support Forces. One the victims died on the spot and the other died whilst being transported to the Al Malam locality.

On the following day, Sunday, April, 5, 2020, a combined force of the Sudan Police and the Army, assisted by some civilians who witnessed the incident, tracked down the perpetrators who were then arrested and taken to the detention cells at the Al Malam locality Police Station.

The Darfur Network for Monitoring and Documentation Network (DNMD) commends the GoS security forces for their speedy action in apprehending the perpetrators and welcomes such steps which will send the right signal that there will be no impunity for criminal activities and acts of human rights violations.

DNMD, however, notes that such incidents remain a worrisome trend and signals increasing insecurity involving members of the Rapid Support Forces in various parts of Darfur. As a result, members of the civilian population remain in fear for their lives due to such incidents.

DNMD therefore calls upon the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Government of South Darfur State to:

1. Take all measures to protect the civilians in Darfur, West Sudan;
2. Denounce the actions by the RSF and reiterate that perpetrators of human rights violations will be held accountable.

DNMD also appeals to the United Nations and the African Union not to turn their backs on the people in Darfur who depend on peacekeepers for protection. The decision to close UNAMID would leave a vacuum in areas of protection of civilians which the GoS is not yet able and willing to fill under the current climate. DNMD notes the need for massive security sector reforms and the need to professionalize and build the capacity of the different security forces in order for them to execute their duties with professionalism and without bias or favor on the basis of ethnicity or tribal affiliations or for any other reasons. The time is ripe for the GoS to take concrete steps to build the trust of the people of Darfur in its security forces.