| Battle of Kutum | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of 2023 Sudan conflict | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Darfur Border Guards | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| 75+ civilians killed [1] 90% of Kutum's population flees [2] | |||||||
The Battle of Kutum was a conflict during the War in Sudan which occurred in and around the town of Kutum in North Darfur. [3] The Rapid Support Forces quickly overran the city, and carried out massacres in the city and the neighboring Kassab IDP camp. The group then attacked neighboring villages in early June. [4]
Kutum is a city in North Darfur state, inhabited primarily by the non-Arab Fur people, with minorities of non-Arab Tunjur and Berti groups. [5] The city lies on a route often used by nomadic Arab tribes, and as a result, many of the villages around Kutum are populated by Arab groups.
Throughout the war in Darfur, Kutum was a hotbed of anti-Bashir activity, and was the site of several battles between various rebel groups, including the Sudanese Liberation Army and National Redemption Front, against Janjaweed and Sudanese armed forces. [6] Janjaweed rebels also attacked non-Arab civilians in Kutum throughout the war. [7] In the late 2010's, these attacks became sporadic, and occurred against civilians in central Kutum. [8]
In 2018, many refugees returned to Kutum, as attacks were dying down in the area. [9] Following the end of the war in Darfur in 2020, attacks continued by gunmen in and around Kutum. [10] Many refugees in Kutum live in Kassab refugee camp, just north of the town. [11] [12]
Following the Sudanese revolution, Nimir Mohammed Abdelrahman was appointed governor, and Mohammed Hassan Arabi was dismissed. [13] In Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, many Janjaweed enlisted into the Rapid Support Forces led by Hemedti, a paramilitary affiliated with the Sudanese Army founded in 2013. Civilian-administration leader Abdalla Hamdok was overthrown in 2021 by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the transitional military leader, with the aid of the RSF. However, by early 2023, tensions grew between Hemedti and Burhan over the integration of the RSF into the Sudanese Army, as the integration would heavily decrease RSF's independence and effectiveness. [14] These tensions came to a head on April 15, when RSF soldiers attacked SAF positions in Khartoum and Merowe.
On March 17, Hemedti threatened to dismantle IDP camps across Sudan, including those in Kutum. [15]
There were no known attacks in Kutum the week fighting broke out on April 15, despite other cities in North Darfur such as El Fasher and Kabkabiya facing attacks by the RSF. [16] This peace continued through May, even as ceasefires in El Fasher held up and the RSF consolidated control over Kabkabiya. [17]
The fighting in Kutum began on May 30 after a local gang killed a Darfur Border Guards officer who was a relative of Janjaweed founder and war criminal Musa Hilal. [18] The RSF then attacked central Kutum, sparking clashes between the group and the SAF. [19] Despite the Sudanese government claiming to have repelled the RSF attack, residents stated that the city was captured by the RSF on June 4. [20] The RSF released a video the next day of RSF fighters touring the garrison of the Sudanese Army's 22nd Brigade and showing captured SAF soldiers. [21]
Clashes broke out in central Kutum on May 30, and spread to Kassab refugee camp on June 4. [22] At least fifty civilians were killed in the attacks on Kassab, with many more injured. [23] In the fighting, the market in Kutum was destroyed, along with much of Kassab. [24] Minni Minnawi, the governor of Darfur region, called Kutum a "disaster zone" on June 5, and deplored the massacres. [23] Residents speaking to Middle East Eye stated that the perpetrators of the attacks on Kassab were the RSF, and that official buildings in the town were torched. [4] Many residents fled to El Fasher or Hashabah, both dozens of kilometers away. [4]
North Darfur governor Nimir Abdelrahman released a statement deploring the killings. [25] On June 7, the Sudanese Combating Violence Against Women Unit stated that at least 18 women, including teenagers, were raped by the RSF and aligned Darfur Border Guards after they captured the city. [26] Attacks on villages surrounding Kutum began on June 9, with the mayor of Farouk town Mohamedein Bektum being executed by RSF fighters after refusing to give up his car key. [27] [22] [28] In the June 8 and 9 attacks, at least thirty-five more people were killed in RSF attacks. [29] Later, Governor Abdelrahman stated that 5,000 families in Kutum alone were in need of humanitarian assistance. [30] By July, more than 90% of the population of Kutum had fled. [31]
By July, the RSF had imposed fees on remaining Kutum residents in exchange for protection from gangs and reprisal attacks. Merchants along the Kutum-El Fasher road were taxed as well. Remaining residents attest that attacks on nearby villages, along with massacres and rapes, continued. [31]
Geneina is a city in West Darfur, part of the dar Masalit region, in Sudan. It joined British Sudan at the end of 1919 through the Gilani Agreement, signed between the Masalit Sultanate and the United Kingdom, according to which it became a territory.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to mononymously as Hemedti, Hemetti, Hemeti, or Hemitte, is a Janjaweed leader from the Rizeigat tribe in Darfur, who was the Deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) following the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état. Since 2013, Hemetti has commanded the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He was considered by The Economist to be the most powerful person in Sudan as of early July 2019.
The following lists events during 2023 in the Republic of the Sudan.
A civil war between two rival factions of the military government of Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Hemedti, began during Ramadan on 15 April 2023. Fighting has been concentrated around the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region. As of 21 January 2024, at least 13,000–15,000 people had been killed and 33,000 others were injured. As of 21 March, over 6.5 million were internally displaced and more than two million others had fled the country as refugees, and many civilians in Darfur have been reported dead as part of the 2023 Masalit massacres.
The Battle of Geneina, also known as the Geneina massacre, was a battle for control of Geneina, the capital of West Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). By 25 April 2023, fighting intensified and devolved along tribal lines, with Masalit and non-Arab peoples supporting the SAF and the aligned Joint Darfur Force—consisting of former rebel groups including the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Justice and Equality Movement—against the RSF and allied Arab militias.
The following is a timeline of the War in Sudan (2023-present).
The Battle of Nyala was a battle for control of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces during the ongoing Darfur campaign. The first battle occurred between 15 and 20 April 2023, during which hundreds were reported dead. A civilian-brokered ceasefire paused the fighting by April 20. Sporadic clashes broke out between May and July. In August 2023, the RSF launched an offensive on the city. The SAF launched air campaigns against the RSF in Nyala, with many civilian casualties in Taiba and El Matar. In late September, the RSF besieged the headquarters the SAF's 16th Infantry Division headquarters, capturing it on October 26.
The Battle of El Fasher is an ongoing battle for control of the town of El Fasher in North Darfur during the 2023 Sudan conflict. The first battle for the city took place between April 15 and April 20, and resulted in a ceasefire that held until May 12. Clashes broke out again between May 12 and 29, and ended with a more stable ceasefire that lasted until August. By September, the city had become a haven for refugees across the region, and was also suffering from food and water shortages.
The Treaty of Jeddah or Jeddah Declaration is an international agreement that was made to make peace in Sudan. The Treaty of Jeddah, which was signed by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan and representatives of both warring sides on 20 May 2023, entered into force 48 hours later on 22 May 2023. The agreement was supposed to create a week-long ceasefire and the distribution of humanitarian aid within the country. The agreement expired suddenly after a surge of clashes on 23 May 2023, a day after the agreement came into effect. With the actual date of expiry being 27 May 2023, the nations agreed on an extension for five days but was shortened due to the agreement's ineffectiveness.
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Khamis Abdullah Abakar also known as Abdallah Abakar was a Sudanese politician, activist and former army commander who served as the Governor of West Darfur from 2021 to 2023.
Kreinik, or AlKuraynik or Kereneik, is a town located in West Darfur, Sudan, located 50 miles (80 km) east of Geneina.
Wad Banda is a locality located in West Kordofan, Sudan.
Abdel Rahman Jumma is a Sudanese Major General in the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who hails from Ed Daein, East Darfur. He faced accusations of grave violations, including war crimes and genocide, in the Darfur region during the war in Darfur and battle of Geneina including the Killing of Khamis Abakar. During the 2023 Sudan conflict, the Darfur Bar Association called for international prosecution and UN intervention in June 2023. Jumma's actions within the RSF sparked controversy due to their involvement in conflicts leading to unrest and displacement. In August 2023, the RSF's War Crimes Committee, led by Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council, listed Jumma among wanted individuals, emphasising crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide allegations.
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The war in Sudan, which started on 15 April 2023, has seen a widespread of war crimes committed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with the RSF being singled out by the Human Rights Watch, and the United Kingdom and United States governments for committing crimes against humanity. The conflict was marked by heavy indiscriminate shelling, gunfire, and airstrikes on markets and populated residential neighbourhoods, causing a high number of fatalities. Hospitals were targeted during aerial bombings and artillery fire, and medical supplies were looted. These attacks severely impacted Sudan’s healthcare system, disrupting medical services and leaving the majority of the hospitals in conflict-affected states out of service. The UN declared Sudan the most dangerous country for humanitarian workers after South Sudan.
The Darfur Joint Protection Force, or more simply the Joint Darfur Force/Joint Force, is a neutral peacekeeping force that was set up during the Battle of El Fasher to protect civilians during the War in Sudan (2023). It was formed on 27 April 2023 by four former rebel groups and signatures of the Juba peace agreement. The participating groups are SLM-Minawi, the Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudanese Alliance, and the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces. It is currently led by Darfur Region Governor Minni Minawi.
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