Sudan’s RSF attacks East Gezira villages following defection

The Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked three villages following a defection by their commander in Gezira State.

The attacks, which reportedly occurred on Tuesday, targeted Abu Aoun, Wad-al-Rabih, and Umm-Sirdiba, all of which are located in eastern Gezira. Witnesses said that the RSF forces burned 45 houses and looted a number of properties in Abu Aoun. In Wad-al-Rabih, 13 houses were burned and three vehicles stolen. And in Umm-Sirdiba, the RSF forces burned at least 10 houses and stole 20 head of cattle.

The attacks come in the wake of a defection by Major General Abdel Rahim Dagalo, the former commander of the RSF in Gezira State. Dagalo and a number of his troops defected to the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), a rebel coalition that is fighting against the government of President Omar al-Bashir. The SRF has been fighting in Gezira State for several years and has been making significant gains in recent months.

The RSF attacks on the three villages in eastern Gezira are seen as a reprisal for Dagalo’s defection. The attacks have been condemned by the SRF and other opposition groups. The Sudanese government has not yet commented on the attacks.

The attacks by the RSF are the latest in a series of human rights abuses committed by the regime of President Omar al-Bashir. The government has been accused of carrying out war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile. The government has also been accused of suppressing dissent and violating the rights of its citizens.