On October 30, 2024, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and affiliated militias launched a brutal attack on Breidik, resulting in over 50 casualties, including the kidnapping of innocent civilians and the destruction of more than 30 homes. The attack forced residents to flee, compounding the existing humanitarian crisis in the region.
This incident is part of a broader, ethnically targeted campaign against the Zaghawa communities.
According to eyewitnesses and reports gathered by the Darfur Network for Human Rights (DNHR), “the RSF’s assaults extend beyond residential areas to include the looting of civilian property, including livestock like goats, sheep, and cows. Markets and communal spaces have also been targeted, demonstrating a deliberate focus on Zaghawa-populated areas, which has led to widespread displacement and severe shortages in essential resources for those affected”.
The violence has triggered mass forced displacement, particularly in Darfur. Just weeks before the Breidik attack, 33 villages in Kutum locality were burned, displacing approximately 40,000 people, most of whom are from the Zaghawa ethnic group. These incidents have sparked international condemnation, with humanitarian organizations and global authorities urgently calling for intervention to protect civilians and ensure accountability for these acts.
In May 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned RSF commanders, emphasizing their role in expanding the war and committing severe human rights abuses in Sudan. (Treasury Sanctions Press Release)
The situation in Darfur demands immediate and sustained global attention. Displaced persons urgently need humanitarian aid, and a longer-term approach is essential to secure justice and accountability.
This escalation of violence is a call to action for the international community to prevent further atrocities and to support a peaceful resolution in Darfur. Only through immediate intervention and sustained commitment can the suffering in Darfur be alleviated and justice delivered to its people.