RSF Blamed for Murder of Senior Sudanese Government Official

West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdallah Abbakar has been murdered, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan facing blame for the act. The incident occurred shortly after Abbakar criticized the RSF and spoke out about what he referred to as a “genocide” during an appearance on a Saudi-owned television network. The United Nations and the Darfur Lawyers Association have condemned the murder, labeling it barbarous and cruel, and attributing it to Arab militias and the RSF.

With a death toll exceeding 2,000 in the ongoing war in Sudan, it is feared that the actual figure could be even higher. The conflict intensifies as tensions rise between the army, led by de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti. Al-Burhan has accused the RSF of carrying out the attack, while the paramilitaries vehemently deny any involvement and denounce the act as a “cold-blooded murder.”

The murder of Governor Abbakar is believed to be part of a systematic effort to eliminate potential leaders, as he was a member of the Masaleet ethnic group and a prominent figure within the Sudanese Coalition Movement. In 2020, Abbakar played a pivotal role as a signatory to the Juba peace accord, which aimed to bring stability to the region.

Experts and analysts are drawing attention to the broader implications of this assassination, highlighting the intent to stifle discussions surrounding the ongoing genocide in Darfur. They emphasize the urgent need for international action to protect the lives of innocent inhabitants in the region. The assassination serves as a stark reminder of the precarious situation in Sudan and the continued threat to those who dare to speak out against human rights abuses.