The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) is deeply concerned about the escalating insecurity in Darfur state amidst the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan. We call upon the Sudanese authorities to launch an impartial investigation into the incident between RSF allied militia groups in a Market in Forbraga town, West Darfur state that resulted in the death of 12 Sudanese citizens.
On 21 March 2024, a conflict erupted between two groups of RSF allied militia i.e. the Rezigate (from Maharia clan) and Messeria militia in a Market in Forbraga town, West Darfur state. The Maharia group was accused of stealing a vehicle belonging to one of Messeria militia members from the market. This then led both parties to mobilize their members for a confrontation that quickly escalated into bloodshed. The incident resulted in the death of 11 people and injuring five others. The victims included members of the conflicting parties and some individuals who had visited the market before the outbreak of the conflict.
Those who sustained injuries are:
Names of the deceased:
According to a reliable source, the said vehicle (the root cause of the conflict) was looted from Khartoum by the Messeria militia who participated in the war in support of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The group participated in the looting of several properties belonging to civilians including vehicles. These items are then taken to various markets across Sudan to be sold cheaply. For example, there are many vehicles in the Forbraga market looted/stolen from Khartoum and Aljazeera states by RSF and allied militia from Maharia and Messeria tribes.
Sudanese authorities must officially and publicly condemn unlawful killings and injuring of innocent civilians and make it clear that these acts are prohibited, and perpetrators will be held to account. Additionally, authorities must immediately prioritize the protection of civilians in all states across Sudan including the Darfur region.
ACJPS further calls on the international community to prioritize the protection of civilians by deploying resources to ensure the protection of civilians in Sudan and assist with independent and impartial investigations of human rights violations to ensure accountability.