The US has condemned alleged atrocities, including sexual violence and ethnic-based killings, committed by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and affiliated militias in West Darfur state.
The US State Department said while the atrocities were primarily attributable to the RSF and allied militias, both sides in the conflict were responsible for abuses.
It said the Sudanese army had failed to protect civilians and had stoked conflict there by encouraging mobilisation of ethnic groups.
“The atrocities occurring today in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the US to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur,” State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said in a statement.
The statement came after the Sudanese army accused the RSF of “abducting and executing” West Darfur governor Khamis Abdalla. The RSF denies this.
About 1,000 people have been killed in attacks by pro-RSF groups in West Darfur, according to Sudanese activists.
The fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which broke out on 15 April, is estimated to have displaced more than two million people.
