Author: DWAG Communication

Weekly Policy Statement

July 17, 2025 

 

Horror in Bara and a Death Trap in El Fasher: Recent Escalations in Sudan

 

In the past week, the ongoing atrocities in Sudan have intensified dramatically. Over the weekend, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) massacred over 450 civilians in North Kordofan villages, near Bara. These villages had no military presence, confirming a deliberate campaign of ethnic slaughter targeting non-Arab civilians. This intensified fighting in the region of North Kordofan forced more than 3,000 people to flee, with no access to humanitarian aid, compounding the displacement crisis across the region. 

 

As we receive reports of RSF forces mobilizing to launch an assault on El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, the danger to civilians escalates rapidly. Meanwhile, in El Fasher, RSF’s relentless siege and imposed starvation continues to trap and kill innocent people.  also continues to be another center of fighting, and civilians continue to be targeted. These attacks show a coordinated, escalating effort to annihilate civilians through starvation, shelling, and displacement. Heavy floods now worsen famine and accelerate the spread of cholera, deepening the humanitarian catastrophe and killing many more in silence.

 

Horror in Bara 

Over the weekend, RSF killed more than 450 civilians, including at least 24 boys, 11 girls, and two pregnant women, in and around the city of Bara in North Kordofan State. We fear that the actual death toll may be higher, with the number of people still reported missing while there is no reliable means of communication. This is a marked escalation of violence. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, condemned these atrocities, saying they show a “complete disregard for human life, international humanitarian law, and the most basic principles of humanity.” 

 

The violence of these attacks was horrific. The RSF burned civilians alive in their homes, looted properties, slaughtered livestock, and buried victims in mass graves. These massacres targeted civilians in villages confirmed to be free of any military targets. These attacks were ethnically charged and criminal. Targeted villages include: Al-Kurdi, Shaq Al-Noum, Umm Dam Haj Ahmed, Shaq al-Num, Umm Nabq, Fuja, Jakowa, Mashqa, Jabrat Al-Sheikh, Bara, and Hilla Hamid.

 

Other Recent Atrocities and Escalations 

On July 13th, the SAF launched an airstrike in Al-Fula, West Kordofan, on residential areas and markets. This attack killed 23 and wounded over 30 civilians. This was clear targeting of civilians and a clear violation of international humanitarian law. The same day, In Abu Zabad, West Kordofan, another SAF airstrike on shelters killed eight people, including three children. This attack targeted a displacement center, and is yet another flagrant violation of humanitarian law. 

 

From July 14th-15th, heavy rains and flooding displaced more than 400 people and destroyed dozens of homes in North Darfur’s Dar As Salam locality. Displaced families now shelter with host communities, but urgently lack survival  resources. The rainy season is worsening the humanitarian disaster, as DWAG has long warned.

 

On July 15th and 16th, the RSF siege of El Fasher continued with shelling that killed five children. RSF also murdered 6 people at the Naivasha market, inside the famine-stricken Abu Shouk displacement camp. 

 

Women’s Health and Education in Crisis

Displaced women across West and South Kordofan report alarming rates of miscarriages, driven by malnutrition, lack of essential vaccines, and vitamin deficiencies. The health sector has collapsed entirely. Safiya Al-Ubaid, a resident, stated, “The situation has deteriorated to an unprecedented level after the Rapid Support Forces invaded the city. The health sector has collapsed as a result of looting and the displacement of medical personnel.”

 

Refugee Crises 

To make matters worse, on July 15th, Ugandan authorities announced the suspension of processing dual citizenship applications for citizens of certain origins, including Sudanese, based on direct presidential directives. DWAG expresses concern about this new development. We greatly appreciate the Ugandan government and the people for welcoming Sudanese and we implore them to continue to protect Sudanese refugees fleeing genocide and understand that they deserve protection, not rejection.

 

In a Libyan refugee camp, the education crisis is clear. Sudanese children remain locked out of formal education due to documentation requirements and bureaucratic inflexibility. Entire generations risk losing their futures while the international system fails to adapt.

 

Escalating Famine, Malnutrition, and Public Health Collapse

On July 10th, UNICEF reported a 46% increase in children treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in Darfur, compared to last year. East Darfur’s malnutrition rates are at 28%, dangerously close to the famine threshold of 30%. Children with SAM require immediate, intensive treatment or risk death. SAM cases increased by over 70% in North Kordofan, 174% in Khartoum, and 683% in Al Jazirah state. These statistics reflect not just neglect but orchestrated deprivation. These children’s lives depend on our actions. 

 

At the same time, the cholera epidemic is surging. On July 13th, South Darfur State announced 8 new cholera cases and 1 death, bringing the total number of cases since May 27 to 374, and the total number of deaths to 29. In North Kordofan, one person died and 45 new cholera cases were recorded, bringing the number of cases to 89. The collapse of public health systems in Sudan means that cholera cases will continue to rise, unless urgent medical intervention arrives now.

 

DWAG’s Urgent Demands to the International Community 

In the face of deepening atrocities and worsening humanitarian catastrophe, the international community bears responsibility and must step up effort to save lives. The systemic RSF attacks on civilians in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, are not isolated incidents. It’s a part of a long standing policy of deliberate attacks on innocent people based on their ethnicities and it must be stopped. These violations must be investigated and the perpetrators must be held accountable. The suffering of the people of Sudan has been allowed to go on for far too long. International institutions, especially UN agencies, must meet their obligations to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to reach all in need across Sudan. We must make it known that the people of Sudan face dire humanitarian conditions and an increasing deprivation of their most basic rights. We call on the international community to take the following actions: 

 

  • Authorize urgent and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid for all in need across Sudan;
  • Swiftly authorize and deploy civilian protection forces to protect the innocent Sudanese people, particularly in Darfur; 
  • Press the warring parties to stop the torture, murder, rape, and starvation of civilians as a strategy of war;
  • Demand that the warring parties to immediately cease all attacks and strictly adhere to a permanent, verifiable ceasefire;
  • Impose  criminal and financial accountability for all individuals and states complicit in committing past and present genocide and war crimes in Sudan; 
  • U.S., UNSC, and allies must hold the regional and international enablers supplying weapons to the warring parties in Sudan accountable; 
  • US and allies must cease the selling of arms to the UAE and prevent genocide in Sudan.

 

As this genocide intensifies, we issue this urgent plea to the global community: Act now! We demand justice. We demand protection. And we demand the world stop looking away.

 

Please join our Stand with Sudan campaign to take action, support the life saving effort  and rally others to be a voice for the people of Sudan. The time to act is now. 

 

With our collective effort we can ease the suffering, compel our leaders to act and hold those responsible accountable.  

 

With Gratitude,

 

Niemat Ahmadi, 

DWAG President 

Weekly Policy Statement

June 9, 2025 

 

Dying in Silence in Darfur and Nowhere To Go!

Mass Murder, Acute Famine, and Protection Crises Increase at an Alarming Rate

In recent weeks Rapid Support Force (RSF)’s violent attacks have escalated, and the  humanitarian crisis in Sudan has worsened. Famine has reached a breaking point, especially in Darfur where civilians have been forced to flee, however some remain under siege with minimal to no survival means.  Attacks on civilians and the blockade of humanitarian aid for the vulnerable represent a serious  affront to international human rights and  humanitarian law. Hospitals and other critical infrastructure are being systematically targeted for destruction. There is even shelling of internally displaced camps, directed toward the most vulnerable survivors, some of whom have lived in makeshift camps for over two decades. The international community is failing to provide lifesaving assistance or hold perpetrators of serious international crimes  accountable. The international community must act immediately to end the genocide in Sudan, deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid, and hold perpetrators accountable.

Since the April attacks on the Zamzam camp in Darfur, there has been a documented rise in mass murder, forced displacement, harassment, intimidation, and detention of displaced people with nowhere to go. This, coupled with the rise of airstrikes and attacks, marks an overall escalation of the humanitarian crisis across Sudan. Widespread violence and insecurity has triggered a hunger crisis, leaving people in famine conditions, suffering from acute malnutrition and severe water shortage. Displaced women and girls also face heightened risks of sexual violence at shelters and at illegal checkpoints as they seek safety.

In early May, fighting in the city of El Nahud in West Kordofan state killed over 300 civilians, the actual death toll likely being much higher. RSF rampaged through neighborhoods, looting and killing. It was reported that RSF has been treating detainees in a cruel and inhuman way. As UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said in a statement, “The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds.” Control over El Nahud was a priority for both RSF and SAF, and  now that it is under RSF control, they turn their attention to bid for control of El Fasher. 

Displacement and Catastrophic Conditions 

Over 800,000 displaced people who fled the Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Tawila camps are living in catastrophic conditions due to lack of basic services and a near total absence of humanitarian aid. The people are seeking refuge in East Darfur, in the Khazan Jadid area. Most people are living there without shelter, there are no treatment centers or health services, and malnutrition has been reported among children. With the rainy season approaching, the risk of disease outbreaks will only increase.

Recent Atrocities and Escalations

During the first and second week of July multiple RSF attacks in El Fasher have been reported. Many  people have been fleeing El Fasher on foot in search of food and water. On May 30, at least six people were killed by an RSF drone attack on Obeid International Hospital, in North Kordofan. This is a direct assault on humanitarian infrastructure, and a clear violation of international humanitarian law. On June 1st  In Central Darfur, RSF opened fire in a market near the El Hamidiya camp, killing two civilians and injuring several others. Another report indicated that on June 2nd at least 89 people were killed and wounded in El Koma in North Darfur, following  SAF airstrike. This is the first such attack in the region after a period of relative pause. 

Reports indicate that SAF has struck multiple aircrafts transporting weapons, drones and amention through Nyala Hospital. In another report on  June 4th,  Human Rights Watch released a report accusing SAF of indiscriminately bombing civilian populations during airstrikes in South Darfur in February.  

On June 5th,  a joint humanitarian convoy (WFP and UNICEF) was attacked and burned down by the RSF near El Koma, North Darfur. Multiple trucks were burned, and critical humanitarian supplies were damaged. The convoy was en route to El Fasher leaving civilians starving to death.. 

On June 5th, residents of Wadi Halfa in Northern State blocked all major entrances to the town to protest scheduled power cuts, reflecting the rising civilian frustration amid ongoing infrastructure collapse. 

To make matters worse, on June 9th the Trump administration declared a  U.S. travel ban including Sudan went into effect, signed by President Trump. Sudanese doctors have warned that this ban will prevent medical graduates from participating in training programs in the U.S., limiting future healthcare capacity in Sudan. The ban also blocks Sudanese genocide affected refugees at a time when international refuge is most urgently needed. The African Union has condemned the move, warning it threatens years of diplomatic progress. 

On June 11th, in Abu Zabad, West Kordofan State, eight people, including a child, were killed and nine injured in a drone strike on a shelter for displaced people. This direct targeting of civilians seeking refuge is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian laws. 

RSF  Escalation of Drone attacks  in Port Sudan 

RSF drones have been flying over Port Sudan almost daily, since the initial strikes between May 4th-6th. Drones hit critical infrastructure like fuel tanks, a power station, and oil depots, in port Sudan, Kassaala and Kosti in White Nile, severely disrupting essential civilian services and endangering the lives and livelihood of the Sudanese people. 

A Worsening Public Health Crisis 

Cholera in Khartoum: Aid workers say the effort to control the outbreak in Khartoum is deteriorating due to the collapse of health services. On June 4, officials reported 1,375 new cholera cases since May 25. This surge is linked to bombings of power stations, which have cut off access to safe drinking water, forcing residents to use contaminated sources like the Nile. 

Cholera in West Darfur and Sennar: Health officials have confirmed six cases and two deaths in El Geneina. In Sennar, 153 suspected cases and nine deaths have been reported. Actual cases and deaths are likely much higher. The situation is dire due to the increased bombing of infrastructure, disrupting access to clean drinking water and medical care. 

The crisis in Sudan today, particularly Darfur, is a crisis  of a global magnitude that requires urgent global attention and actions.  With famine increasing and the rainy season approaching, if left unaddressed the humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur and Kordofan will be the deadliest of its kind. Genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity have been perpetrated for over two decades. DWAG believes the solution to the crisis in Sudan must take an atrocities prevention approach that starts with civilian protection and accountability for criminals. 

Therefore we urgently  call on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the African Union, the United States, and the broader r international community to take the following urgent actions:

  • Authorize urgent and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid for all in need across Sudan;
  • Swiftly authorize and deploy civilian protection forces to protect the innocent Sudanese people, particularly in Darfur; 
  • Press the warring parties to stop the torture, murder, rape, and starvation of civilians in Darfur and across the Sudan;
  • Press  the warring parties to immediately cease all attacks and strictly adhere to a permanent, verifiable ceasefire;
  • Impose  criminal and financial accountability for all individuals and states complicit in committing past and present genocide and war crimes in Sudan; 
  • U.S., UNSC, and allies must hold the regional and international enablers supplying weapons to the warring parties in Sudan accountable; 
  • US and allies must cease the selling of arms to the UAE and prevent genocide in Sudan.
  • We call on the United States to issue a waiver for Sudanese refugees, students to enter into the US without restriction 

As attacks on civilians and the humanitarian crisis intensifies we must speak out and demand   action. We further call on DWAG supporters to speak up and tell our leaders- in the face of genocide and the incredible suffering they must not look the other way, they must meet their moral and legal obligation by standing against genocide in Sudan. The time to act is now. 

Please join our Stand with Sudan campaign to take action, support the life saving effort  and rally others to be a voice for the people of Sudan.

With our collective effort we can ease the suffering, compel our leaders to act and hold those responsible accountable.  

With Gratitude,

Niemat Ahmadi, 

DWAG President

Weekly Policy Statement

July 11, 2025 

Mass Displacement, Targeted Attacks, and Funding Cuts Put Sudanese People in Imminent Danger 

Since April 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have laid siege to El Fasher, Zamzam camp, and surrounding areas, deliberately cutting off food, water, and medical care. El Fasher is the last of Darfur’s five state capitals that is not yet under RSF control. According to recent reporting from MSF, this siege has resulted in the intentional starvation of civilians, and the collapse of already fragile living conditions. What we are witnessing is not merely a war- it is a genocide unfolding in real time, marked by mass displacement, sexual violence, starvation, and deliberate targeting of non-Arab communities. The people of Darfur, Kordofan, and Khartoum are bearing the brunt of unimaginable violence. 

On June 16th, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned of escalating  violence in North Darfur and Kordofan, his office documented a tripling in the number of arbitrary killings of civilians between February and April, along with rising incidents of sexual violence and attacks on humanitarian workers. 

We at DWAG call for critical action to be taken. As targeted ethnic violence intensifies, legal repression becomes more commonplace, the rainy season approaches, and global humanitarian aid funding is slashed, the people of Sudan are in a dire and deteriorating situation.  

Recent Atrocities and Escalations

On June 11th, RSF seized Karab El Tum, near the Sudan–Libya–Egypt border, signaling growing regional entanglement and military expansion. On June 15th, heavy fighting erupted in El Fasher, including drone attacks on residential areas and camps for displaced people. At least 35 children went missing, allegedly detained by RSF. The continued siege on El Fasher included on June 16 RSF bombing a shelter for displaced people in El Fasher, killing 10+ civilians and injuring 40 people. Also a report was released by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, outlining an uptick in human trafficking, specifically in Darfur, Khartoum, and Al Gezire. The findings reveal that human trafficking networks often collude with government actors, and detail incidents of kidnapping, sexual slavery, forced recruitment, and forced labor. To add to this. On June 30th, RSF rejected a UN-proposed ceasefire and resumed artillery strikes on El Fasher. Civilian deaths and malnutrition cases continue to rise. 

On July 3 MSF released a report documenting systematic atrocities including rape, starvation, and forced displacement, based on over 80 testimonies. See the full report here, and press statement here. Dbanga Sudan has documented more than 190 families having been displaced. 

On July 6th, IOM confirmed that 99% of Zamzam Camp’s population had fled. Displaced people are now scattered across 26 localities in four states, facing critical conditions.

Along their route; they faced murder, illness, physical assault, and gender-based violence, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of displaced populations and the chilling conditions they face as they seek safety. 

Most recently, from July 7th to 9th, shelling inside Abu Shouk camp killed three civilians and injured many more. As a reminder, this is a displacement camp where famine was confirmed last year.  This tragic incident is another reminder of the toll this conflict is taking on civilians. 

Targeted Ethnic Violence and Legal Repression Intensifies 

Across Sudan, volunteers, journalists, aid workers, and lawyers are being arrested arbitrarily. In Al-Jazeera State and Khartoum, many remain imprisoned without charges. Civil society is under siege through increased surveillance, repression, and intimidation. The recent arrests of journalists in El Fasher reflects a broader trend of information suppression, as military actors attempt to silence witnesses and isolate Sudan from the global community.

The recent MSF report confirms the RSF’s systematic targeting of non-Arab communities. One survivor stated, “The RSF does not treat tribes equally, they treat Arabs better than non-Arabs, light skinned people better than dark-skinned people, and those speaking the nomads’ type of Arabic better than those speaking the city style or another language.” Specifically, many Zaghawa people were interviewed in this report, and many villages that were targeted in recent RSF attacks were known to be home to Zaghawa communities. One man said, “They were asking people if they belonged to the Zaghawa, and if they did, they would kill them.” This is the language and behavior of genocide, and the international community must respond accordingly. 

Additionally, on July 9th in Khartoum State, Sultan Hassan Musa, the leader of the Nuba people, accused government forces of demolishing 806 Nubian homes and pursuing oppressive and ethnically-targeted policies. These acts constitute ethnic persecution and cannot be tolerated. 

Flooding and Upcoming Rainy Season 

On June 17th, Nakhil camp in East Darfur warned that the upcoming rainy season will only worsen living and health conditions. Women in the camp pleaded for water, seeds, food, and warned of famine. 

A UN briefing on July 9th reported that flash floods devastated the Northern Delta locality of Kassala State, further impeding aid delivery. We must work to ensure people have clean drinking water, proper sanitation services, humanitarian aid, and food as the rainy season approaches. 

On July 10th, flooding in Kalma camp and South Kordofan washed away roads, and cut access to clean water and aid. This is an early indication of imminent disaster as the rainy season begins. 

Humanitarian Funding Cuts are Costing Lives 

On July 7th, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that severe funding shortfalls will soon force cuts to food assistance for Sudanese refugees. The UN also reiterated the need for humanitarian aid funding in a statement on July 9th, calling for the international community to scale up support. As of July 9th, the $4.2 billion response plan for Sudan is less than 25% funded, with only $917 million left in the bank. This is not just a crisis of violence, it is one of abandonment. Displaced and starving civilians are met with scarcity, not support, as they flee. 

DWAG’s Urgent Demands to the International Community 

  • Authorize urgent and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid for all in need across Sudan;
  • Swiftly authorize and deploy civilian protection forces to protect the innocent Sudanese people, particularly in Darfur; 
  • Press the warring parties to stop the torture, murder, rape, and starvation of civilians as a strategy of war;
  • Demand that the warring parties to immediately cease all attacks and strictly adhere to a permanent, verifiable ceasefire;
  • Impose  criminal and financial accountability for all individuals and states complicit in committing past and present genocide and war crimes in Sudan; 
  • U.S., UNSC, and allies must hold the regional and international enablers supplying weapons to the warring parties in Sudan accountable; 
  • US and allies must cease the selling of arms to the UAE and prevent genocide in Sudan.

As this genocide intensifies, we issue this urgent plea to the global community: Act now! The people of Darfur and Sudan at large are facing mass killings, forced starvation, and targeted ethnic violence at the hands of armed actors who continue to operate without consequence. We must raise our voices, demand accountability, and call on world leaders to protect civilians and support the Sudanese people in their fight for survival, safety, and peace. 

Please join our Stand with Sudan campaign to take action, support the life saving effort  and rally others to be a voice for the people of Sudan. The time to act is now. 

With our collective effort we can ease the suffering, compel our leaders to act and hold those responsible accountable.  

With Gratitude,

Niemat Ahmadi, 

DWAG President

Human Rights Watch Releases World Report 2025: Rights Trends in Sudan

Earlier this week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its 2025 World Report, examining human rights conditions in more than 100 countries around the globe. The chapter on Sudan covers the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, and human rights abuses across the country.

The report is available in English and Arabic on HRW’s website.

Watch: Statement on the SRSG-SVC’s 15-Year Anniversary

DWAG’s Founder and President, Niemat Ahmadi, spoke on the 15-year anniversary of the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC).  The office was established through a 2009 United Nations Security Council Resolution (SCR-1888).

You can watch Niemat’s statement on YouTube:

Visit the SRSG-SVC’s website to learn more. 

Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention Podcast Episode 37: Niemat Ahmadi

DWAG’s Founder and President, Niemat Ahmadi, appeared on the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect’s Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention podcast.

You can listen to Niemat’s episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud  and YouTube.

More information:
The podcast, hosted by Global Centre Director of Policy and Research Jaclyn Streitfeld-Hall, features one-on-one conversations with practitioners from the field of human rights, conflict prevention, atrocity prevention and other related agendas. These conversations aim to provide a glimpse of the personal and professional side of how practitioners approach human rights protection and atrocity prevention.