Darfur Victims Support Organization
Report: November 3, 2024
RSF Burning of the Village of Beridik in North Darfur – Al-Fashir ,November 2, 2024
This report documents the violent assault on the village of Beridik in the Kutum locality of North Darfur. Local sources indicate that the large-scale attack is believed to have been carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to an eyewitness, a force comprising approximately 40 military vehicles and 100 motorcycles, along with about 30 camels and horses, launched a destructive attack on the village at around 10:00 a.m., which involved extensive looting and vandalism. Approximately 40 homes were burned, 12 civilians were killed, 5 were injured, and 3 residents were captured.
Attack Victims
Deceased:
1. Issam Mohieddin Jadu
2. Kamal Mohieddin Jadu
3. Ismail Mohammed Abdulmawli Bahr
4. Dawood Jalba Thabit Nasr
5. Othman Hamid Dawood
6. Bashir Adam Mohammed
7. Abdulrahman
8. Abdulwahab Adam Taban Kajori
9. Abduljabar Hassan Juma
10. Isa Mohammed Hamid
11. Yasser Abdulkarim Yaqoub
12. Tambak Yusuf
Injured:
13. Othman Qaja Bishar Kasha
14. Hamid Al-Tayeb Sunni
15. Mohammed Adam Dosa Qasi
16. Jabar Kasham Othman
17. Adam Yusuf Shaqir Bahr
Detained:
18. Dr. Abkar Mohammed Abdulmawli
19. Mohammed Hamid Mohammed Abdulmawli
20. Ibrahim Adam Manis
The Darfur Victims Support Organization extends its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, wishes a swift recovery for the injured, and hopes for the safe return of the missing. The organization condemns the brutal attack on unarmed civilians and holds the RSF accountable for this escalation.
Complexities Surrounding the Field Situation
Sudanese army and various armed movements, are now involved in the escalating conflict. RSF members have claimed that groups associated with the army and allied militias are wearing RSF uniforms and committing organized crimes with the aim of tarnishing its reputation. This complex situation underscores the need for impartial and independent investigations.
The Need for International Intervention
The Darfur Victims Support Organization stresses that the situation in Darfur specifically, and in Sudan generally, requires urgent intervention from the international community. The recurring violations and increasing state of insecurity necessitate the deployment of international forces to protect civilians and verify facts on the ground. These attacks represent a grave violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention concerning the protection of civilians during times of conflict. Deliberate attacks on civilian objects, the burning of homes, and the killing of civilians constitute acts that may rise to the level of war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Recommendations:
1. Formation of an Independent Fact-Finding Commission: The organization calls on the international community to form an independent commission to investigate the crimes committed and to identify the parties responsible for the recent escalation.
2. Accountability and Justice for Perpetrators: The organization urges that those responsible for this attack be held accountable and brought to justice, thereby safeguarding the rights of victims and deterring future crimes.
3. Opening of Humanitarian Corridors: The organization emphasizes the need for the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors to provide necessary aid to affected areas and to ensure the delivery of relief to trapped civilians.
4. Cessation of Attacks and Accountability of Perpetrators: The organization calls upon the RSF to immediately cease its attacks and to conduct transparent investigations to hold those involved in these crimes accountable, if evidence proves the involvement of its members.
The Darfur Victims Support Organization reaffirms its commitment to defending the rights of civilians and calls for an immediate halt to hostilities, working towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict that has gravely affected Darfur and inflicted severe harm on its residents.