US condemns militia attacks against Sudanese civilians
Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - The United States on Wednesday issued a statement condemning in the strongest terms recent attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against civilians in central Sudan that left hundreds dead and injured and thousands chased away from their homes.
Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson, pointed out: “The United States condemns these attacks in the strongest terms and calls on the RSF to halt violence against civilians immediately. The group’s leaders have repeatedly committed to their obligation to civilian protection under international humanitarian law, and they must uphold those commitments,” said the State Department Spokesperson.
The statement pointed out that over the last week, the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had carried out a major and brutal attack across eastern part of the al-Gezira state in Sudan, located just south of Khartoum.
The spokesman pinpointed that the RSF attacked multiple villages in the area, deliberately targeting civilians. Many of the RSF’s victims have been children and women.
He said his country “condemns these attacks in the strongest terms and calls on the RSF to halt violence against civilians immediately".
The group’s leaders have repeatedly committed to their obligation to civilian protection under international humanitarian law, and they must uphold those commitments.
He said the United States recently imposed sanctions on Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa for his role in RSF atrocities, adding “and we will continue to impose costs on all those committing and fueling these atrocities”.
He stressed that these “heinous attacks” are sadly only the latest in a war that has gone on for far too long. He further added that attacks like these exacerbate the severe hunger and displacement crisis that has put more than 25 million Sudanese in need of emergency humanitarian relief and forced more than 14 million people to flee their homes since the conflict began.
“Our support for the Sudanese people is steadfast as they demand a sustainable end to the conflict and work to develop a process to resume the stalled political transition to inclusive, civilian-led, democratic governance,” the US State Department spokesman stressed.
-0-PANA MO/RA 30Oct2024
