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Leaked UN report exposes hellish atrocities in Sudan
The document was prepared by a five-member panel of monitors appointed by the Security Council. As of the time of this posting, the UN has not released it to the public.
Editor’s Note: We believe that it is important to bear witness to the atrocities underway in Sudan. This update and report includes disturbing images and language. We ask that you bear witness with us. If you are unable to out of concern for your mental health, we encourage you to read our Sudan Crisis Guide here instead. Thank you.
Photos: Imagery of reported site of alleged body disposal near El Geneina in Darfur taken 25 June 2023, 12 Aug 2023, and 06 Sep 2023. Survivors and eyewitnesses report at least 30 known mass grave sites around the city. (Sudan Conflict Observatory)
A damning report has leaked from the United Nations concerning the spiraling conflict in Sudan. The document was prepared by a five-member panel of monitors appointed by the Security Council. As of the time of this posting, the UN has not released it to the public.
Several news agencies and a growing number of people in human rights, humanitarian, and advocacy communities are in possession of the report. We have posted the full 47-page document below. A summary of some key points can be found as well.
The El Geneina Massacre: 10,000-15,000 Killed
When the civil war began in Khartoum on April 15, 2023, fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) quickly spread to the western Darfur region. It was immediately clear that the RSF was going to use the fog of war to target the region’s historic ethnic African minorities, who have been oppressed by the RSF for years.
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Between April and June of 2023, the UN monitors write that El Geneina in West Darfur descended into "intense violence" (pg.18). The African Masalit tribe was the primary target of ethnic cleansing, which was led by the RSF and their local Arab militia allies. It is noteworthy that the panel describes preparations for the massacre began weeks before the war even began:
“The attacks were planned, coordinated, and executed by RSF and their allied Arab militias…The largest mobilization (of Arab militia) within El Geneina took place weeks before 15 April, when clashes in Khartoum commenced, and went on until 24 April. These militias were assembled in various areas in El Geneina and surrounding areas…
RSF established local headquarters in neighbourhoods that served as operational centres. Amir Masar (Arab militia leader and recruiter) frequently visited some of these headquarters, distributing weapons, and coordinating RSF-militia. In addition, allied militias established their own operational centres which were frequently visited by RSF officers for coordination purposes.
Map: Key locations mentioned in this summary. Click or tap to expand. (Operation Broken Silence)
The ethnic cleansing of El Geneina seems to have been planned in great deal by the RSF and their allies, with the apparent aim to maximize their destruction of the Masalit people:
“Between 24 April and 19 June, the city of El Geneina in West Darfur underwent a period of intense violence. This was followed by the takeover of SAFs' 51 Division in Ardamatta on 4 November by RSF. Historic ethnic tensions between communities were instrumentalised by prominent military, political, and traditional leaders for their own political and economic gain. RSF and allied militia deliberately targeted civilian neighbourhoods, IDP gathering sites, and IDP camps, schools, mosques, and hospitals, while looting homes, INGOs and UN compounds. Furthermore, they deliberately rendered useless water pumps that were vital for the survival of the community. RSF and allied militia deliberately targeted Masalit community…
There were 120 IDP gathering sites in El Geneina locality, hosting over 80,000 people, mostly Masalit, who were displaced in previous attacks on their community. During the recent violence, these IDP gathering sites were systematically attacked, looted, burnt and destroyed. The severe and widespread attacks on these sites and neighbourhoods caused renewed displacement.”
Civilians sought shelter in various schools and mosques, with the Azahara girls' boarding school in Al Madaris becoming a large gathering site housing an esimated 1,000 families, over 5,000 people. Next to it, the Algadima school, sheltered 3,500 families. These sites and others were bombed with heavy artillery and mortar. On 12 June, witnesses relayed that approximately 26 bombs hit IDP gathering sites in one day. Although exact numbers were difficult to establish, witnesses reported significant number of deaths and injured, including women and children, some estimating between 60 and 70 casualties daily…
Following the killing of the Wali, Masalit and other African communities decided to seek protection at Ardamatta. At midnight, a convoy of thousands of people, including women, children, injured, elderly, vehicles, and animals moved from Al Madaris and Al Jamarek neighbourhoods towards Ardamatta. When reaching Ashati area and Anasim bridge, RSF and allied militia indiscriminately opened fire on the convoy. Survivors reported that an estimated 1,000 people were killed.”
Photos of IDP gathering sites targeted and destroyed during the violence in El Geneina. (UN confidential source)
Despite the ethnic nature of the killings, page 21 of the report explains how brave members of El Geneina’s Arab communities refused to participate in the slaughter of their Masalit neighbors, and in some cases put themselves in harms way to save them:
“It is important to note that not all members of the Arab communities were involved in the violence, and that many actively protected the Masalit people. Masalit individuals found refuge in the homes of their Arab neighbours, who assisted them in escaping to Adré, Chad. Many Masalit leaders expressed gratitude for being released based on assurances and declarations of innocence from their Arab neighbours.”
The panel goes on to explain how the RSF and their allied Arab militias continued their ethnic cleansing campaign in great detail to the very end. From page 25:
“Between 14 and 17 June, an estimated 12,000 people, including women and children, left El Geneina for Adré (Chad) by foot. When reaching RSF checkpoints women and men were separated, harassed, searched, robbed, and physically assaulted. Young men were particularly targeted and interrogated about their ethnicity. If identified as Masalit, many were summarily executed with a shot to the head. Women were physically and sexually assaulted. Indiscriminate shootings also injured and killed women and children. All testimonies mentioned many dead bodies along the road, including those of women, children and young men.”
The UN monitors collected evidence and testimonies from over 120 interviews with victims and eyewitnesses. It was reported, consistently, that RSF and allied militias committed severe violations of international law. This appears to back up the U.S. State Department’s recent determination that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing are being committed in Sudan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the atrocities this way: “Masalit civilians have been hunted down and left for dead in the streets, their homes set on fire, and told that there is no place in Sudan for them.”
The scale of the mass killing in El Geneina is truly shocking. The report raises the estimated death toll to 10,000-15,000 people. This is significantly higher than previous estimates, and the UN monitors came to their revised figure after talking with intelligence sources. An estimated 555,000 individuals have fled into Chad since the beginning of the conflict.
The report also provides further details on the RSF massacre of Masalit civilians in the town of Ardamatta in November, where many survivors had sought shelter. Up to 2,000 additional men, women, and children were murdered and buried in mass graves. The report points out that “A survivor interviewed by the Panel reported being detained and tortured with several hundred other detainees, of which only four escaped.”
The national death toll from the war has recently been estimated at around 12,000. Based on survivor accounts and now the UN, the mass killings in West Darfur alone eclipse the entire estimated national death toll. The much larger capital city of Khartoum is also a lawless and bloodied shell of its former self, and other cities and communities have lost countless citizens to the violence. Getting an exact death count remains impossible due to ongoing violence and perpetrators covering up and denying their crimes. What we do know is that decisive global action is still sorely needed.
International community failing to halt flow of weapons and financing
The leaked UN report goes on to confirm that weapons are still flowing freely into Sudan. Special attention is given to the United Arab Emirates, which has been flying weapons from Abu Dhabi to Amdjarass in eastern Chad. The report says the weapons and ammunition are loaded onto trucks and driven across the border into Darfur, where they are distributed to the RSF. The UAE has claimed its base at Amdjarass exists for humanitarian purposes.
The weapons shipments began as far back as June 2023 and are a violation of the UN arms embargo on Sudan. The UN monitors point out that UAE flights occurred around the exact time that advanced weaponry began being used by the RSF, including drones, multiple-rocket launchers, anti-aircraft missiles, and howitzers. These are weapons systems the RSF has traditionally never had. “This new RSF firepower had a massive impact on the balance of forces on the ground,” the report says.
The report corroborates the existence of the RSF’s massive illicit financial network, which include gold-smuggling and loaning out RSF soldiers as mercenaries. The monitors write:
"Complex financial networks established by RSF before and during the war enabled it to acquire weapons, pay salaries, fund media campaigns, lobby, and buy the support of other political and armed groups.”
They are also unsparing in their indictment of the often chaotic and unorganized diplomatic efforts to end the war:
“…an excess of mediation tracks, the entrenched positions of the warring parties, and competing regional interests meant that these peace efforts had yet to stop the war, bring political settlement or address the humanitarian crisis."
Public Photo: A picture taken on June 16, 2023 shows decaying bodies in El Geneina.
What can be done?
If the promise of never again is to become reality, then it is past time for world leaders to get physical with Sudan’s war criminals. A genocide determination has not been made with regards to Sudan, but the evidence available strongly suggests that the RSF is engaged in crimes that meet this high legal threshold.
Immediate steps the international community should take are glaringly obvious. Fully funding cash-strapped humanitarian efforts in diversified and creative ways is the lowest of the low-hanging fruit. Shutting down illicit financial flows that are funding this senseless war is another. Drastically ramping up global efforts to enforce a true arms embargo on Sudan is needed.
With regards to the latter, the obvious place to begin is putting real pressure on the UAE to end its support to the RSF. It has been known for months that the Amdjarass base in eastern Chad is the primry point for weapons flowing to the RSF. The fact that this base still exists is truly absurd.
The United States and other parties seeking a ceasefire have asked those who are funneling weapons into Sudan to knock it off. Unsurprisingly, mediocre statements aren’t getting the job done. Considering the immense loss of human life in Sudan and the destruction still underway, it is not unreasonable to expect that world powers demand the UAE stop its actions. Failure to do so should result in the international community moving forcefully to shut down the Amdjarass resupply route, either by working intensively with the government of Chad to kick the UAE out or threatening the base with direct military force.
In his December remarks about the U.S. government determining that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing are being committed in Sudan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken rightfully said:
“Today’s determination does not preclude the possibility of future determinations as additional information about the parties’ actions becomes available. The United States is committed to building on this determination and using available tools to end this conflict and cease committing the atrocities and other abuses that are depriving the Sudanese people of freedom, peace, and justice.”
It is past time that the US and others use those “available tools.” Too many Sudanese men, women, and children are dead today because of this war and the RSF’s hatred. Human life is precious and must be protected. No one can stop this war overnight, not even the generals who started it. But there are practical things world leaders can do to cripple their ability to wage war and commit atrocities, as well as help survivors and those in danger.
The only question world leaders face is if they have the willpower to turn their commitments into reality. Time will tell, but time is something the Sudanese people are already in short supply of.
Get Involved
The crisis unfolding in Sudan is the most dangerous and destructive humanitarian catastrophe in the world. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —roughly half the country— are now in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. 7 million people have been internally-displaced and nearly 1.5 million more have fled the country.
Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the war spreads and program costs skyrocket. Your generosity will help them bring lifesaving relief to those who have fled Darfur.
$200 - Feeds four families for one month.
$150 - Provides a daily nutritious meal to 32 children for a week.
$100 - Gives culturally-sensitive, quality garments to five women in need.
$50 - Helps deliver basic medicines.
Checks can be make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
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Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
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A damning report has leaked from the United Nations concerning the spiraling conflict in Sudan. Learn more: https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/leaked-un-report-exposes-hellish-atrocities-in-sudan
Between April and June of 2023, the UN monitors write that El Geneina in West Darfur descended into "intense violence." The African Masalit tribe was the primary target of ethnic cleansing, which was led by the RSF and their local Arab militia allies. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/leaked-un-report-exposes-hellish-atrocities-in-sudan
The scale of the mass killing in El Geneina is truly shocking. The report raises the estimated death toll to 10,000-15,000 people. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/leaked-un-report-exposes-hellish-atrocities-in-sudan
The leaked UN report goes on to confirm that weapons are still flowing freely into Sudan. Special attention is given to the United Arab Emirates, which has been flying weapons from Abu Dhabi to Amdjarass in eastern Chad. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/leaked-un-report-exposes-hellish-atrocities-in-sudan
No one can stop this war overnight, not even the generals who started it. But there are practical things world leaders can do to cripple their ability to wage war and commit atrocities, as well as help survivors and those in danger. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/leaked-un-report-exposes-hellish-atrocities-in-sudan
Movement Spotlight: Gary Casady
How one runner is helping to bring education to a Sudanese refugee camp.
Operation Broken Silence is a small nonprofit with a big mission of empowering Sudanese heroes in some of the most oppressed parts of their country. We’re only able to do this with the help of our movement, which includes donors, fundraisers, volunteers, and partnerships found around the world.
We want to share a story from our movement with you today! Meet Gary Casady, one of our supporters from Oregon. Gary ran virtually in our annual 5K last fall, an event that benefits local teachers in Yida Refugee Camp. He says:
“I have had the privilege of being in Sudan and surrounding countries, so am more aware than most of the disasters that have taken place there. Our son Brian has been to the Nuba Mountains and travelled with locals who have become friends. I have been able to attend a conference in Nairobi for pastors from Sudan, so am acquainted with them and the challenges of their ministries.
I have never considered myself a fundraiser. I like the phrase "friendraiser" that I have heard others use. I just engage myself with people where I feel God is working and where He moves me to be involved. I share this with friends, giving them the opportunity to ask God if He wants them involved in some way. Then I just rest in what God provides and does.
In my weekly exercise I have a goal ‘3x3"‘, that is 3 miles three times a week. So, I have a few 5k routes marked out that I do weekly. My favorite one is the one I did for Eden's run. It is back roads that provide great scenes, hence the designation ‘Sevenmile Hill Scenic Slog.’”
Gary took one of the most innovative approaches we’ve ever seen from our virtual runners. He mapped out in detail where he would be running. In the weeks leading up to the run, he sent his course, a few pictures of it, and his fundraising page to friends and family asking them to give. Those who donated received personal thank you! Race day arrived and Gary’s wife Linda followed along to take a few photos.
By the end of his run, Gary had exceeded his $1,250 goal by raising $3,156!
Absolutely amazing! After his run, Gary emailed his supporters a touching and humorous thank you note with a few photos. Here’s what he wrote:
“Dear Friends,
We made it. Linda came along in her Subaru as my own private Paparazzi. God bless her abundantly. I came in first place to the rousing caws of ravens. You should try it sometime - design your own race and run it by yourself and you'll come in first place, hoorah. My time was a PR. How did I run so fast? It was the shoes.
We were off at 7:00am sharp as the full moon was setting in the west and the thermometer read 23F. Linda drove to critical points along the race route for photos. We arrived back home at around 7:40am. We had french toast omelets and fresh fruit for breakfast. The attached photos tell a story.
Thank you for all of your donations, encouragement, prayers and support. The cause of supporting the teachers and schools for these internally displaced kiddos is a great work in which you have all engaged. There is still time to donate through Monday.”
Gary has provided all of us a fantastic example of how to fundraise: be friendly, be direct, and have fun! His final words of encouragement for all of our fundraisers and future runners comes from his faith:
“Step into what you believe God is doing and share this with others. It is His work. He gives us the privilege to be involved. He will provide when and how He wills.”
Thank you to Gary, Linda, and all of your supporters for serving the teachers and kids in Yida Refugee Camp. The funds you raised and gave are being used to pay teacher salaries, deliver school supplies, and more. And thank you for encouraging our team with your kindness and generosity during this especially difficult season in Sudan.
Ready To Get Involved?
The current crisis unfolding in Sudan is now the most dangerous and destructive humanitarian catastrophe in the world. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —roughly half the country— are now in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. 7 million people have been internally-displaced and nearly 1.5 million more have fled the country.
Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the war spreads and program costs skyrocket. In 2024, we’re searching for 100 supporters who can give $50/month to their life-saving work. ⚡️Your first three monthly gifts will be matched by a private donor.⚡️
The Renewal is our passionate family of monthly givers supporting Sudanese heroes. When we match their grit with a monthly financial commitment, we become an unstoppable force for good.
91 more monthly givers are needed.
You’ll receive updates from our partners roughly every 4 months and an annual giving statement at the beginning of each year.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Other Ways To Help
Online Donations - You can make a one-time gift above by selecting One time.
Checks - Make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Start a Fundraising Page - Ask friends and family to give!
Movement Spotlight: Emily Selby Smith
How one graduate student helped to expand our suite of educational resources on Sudan.
Operation Broken Silence is a small nonprofit with a big mission of empowering Sudanese heroes in some of the most oppressed parts of their country. We’re only able to do this with the help of our movement, which includes donors, fundraisers, volunteers, and partnerships found around the world.
We want to share about a recent partnership that benefits you and everyone else in our movement, and beyond! Meet Emily Selby Smith, a graduate student in the Anthropology Department at the University of Memphis:
“Currently, I am a master's student in UofM’s Applied Anthropology program. I was drawn to the department and UofM because they are deeply engaged with helping the community.
My research interests are in genocide education and recovery, so working with community organizations collaboratively is very important to me. One thing that drew me to genocide education and recovery is the need to discuss what is happening, often it can be so difficult to speak about it but with more education efforts I believe that things can change!”
Sudan is not well-known to many people, and that’s not their fault. The country is rarely in the news for sustained periods of time and makes even fewer appearances in high school and college textbooks. Learning about the diversity of people living there and their challenges is not as easy as it should be.
Emily has partnered closely with our team since May 2023 to help us begin changing that. She worked across the organization to overhaul and expand our educational materials so they can be more useful to teachers, students, and people who want to learn more:
“After some preliminary searching of what is out there, I began to interview supporters, educators, and people within the organization to understand how they used the Educators and Learners pages, what they would like to see, and what steps could be taken in the future. I then continuously worked to write, rewrite, and edit while paying attention to the images and videos we could use.
One thing that stood out to me during my research was the lack of resources on women’s experiences in Sudan. Often it can be both difficult to address and underreported, but many interviewees shared that they hoped to be able to teach about it and have the language and resources to do so. By creating a resource page specifically for women’s experience I believe that it brings together this very difficult topic to address in ways that can spark hope and change.”
As the crisis in Sudan continues to escape the world’s attention, resources like these are critical to closing knowledge gaps with veteran and new supporters alike, as well as help to bring in new faces who want to learn more and get involved. Emily says:
“Often violence does not start out of the blue, and the violence in the Nuba Mountains and Sudan highlight that. The new resources are able to inform teachers and students about the multiple and complex issues of Sudan while also presenting information about international genocide prevention and protection. By presenting both sides, I believe it shows not only what is happening but how international processes work and might bring about change in the future!”
Our desire is that partnerships with Operation Broken Silence benefit and encourage everyone involved. For Emily, that meant deepening her educational drive and benefiting others along the way:
“After speaking with teachers and supporters about how they use these resources it gave me a larger drive to continue genocide education. But also, being able to make changes based on what everyone wanted to see to benefit all in the future was such a fulfilling experience. Changing and adding resources only helps the OBS and the people of Nuba for more visibility and advocacy.”
Thank you to Emily and our friends in the Anthropology Department at the University of Memphis for helping us with this critical project. Improving our educational resources was not something we could have accomplished on our own, and we are always encouraged when we get to partner with the university.
Join Our Mission In 2024
The current crisis unfolding in Sudan is now the most dangerous and destructive humanitarian catastrophe in the world. Entire communities are being destroyed by extreme violence and hunger. Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the war spreads and program costs skyrocket.
In 2024, we’re searching for 100 supporters who can give $50/month to their life-saving work. ⚡️Your first three monthly gifts will be matched by a private donor.⚡️
The Renewal is our passionate family of monthly givers supporting Sudanese heroes. When we match their grit with a monthly financial commitment, we become an unstoppable force for good.
91 more monthly givers are needed.
You’ll receive updates from our partners roughly every 4 months and an annual giving statement at the beginning of each year.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Other Ways To Help
Online Donations - You can make a one-time gift above by selecting One time.
Checks - Make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Stocks & Mutual Funds - Use this giving form to donate stock. To give from a mutual fund, download our Investment Fund Transfer Form and follow the instructions. Please note that all stock and mutual fund donations are nonrefundable.
Cryptocurrency - Use this giving form to donate crypto. Please note that all crypto donations are nonrefundable.
Fundraise - Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give! These last few days of the year are the perfect time to fundraise.
As Darfur falls to the RSF, where is the outrage at their atrocities?
‘I have been asking why all these international humanitarian treaties and laws are failing us.’
This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian on December 12, 2023. It is written by Ahmed Gouja and edited by Philip Kleinfeld.
Photo: International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan meets with Darfuri refugee leaders in Adré, eastern Chad to hear their accounts of mass killings in Darfur. (ICC Photo)
Abdo Idriss* was not a wealthy man, but he was famous around Ardamata. For decades, he rode a donkey cart with a water tank around the Darfuri neighbourhood, a vital job that brought him into almost everybody’s home on one occasion or another.
His life was ended, however, in late October, when fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) knocked on his front door and demanded riches. When Idriss said he only had a solitary donkey, they shot him dead and killed his sons.
For the past few weeks, the RSF has been seizing full control of Darfur after ousting the Sudanese army from its main bases, one of which was in Ardamata. In the process, its fighters have killed hundreds of civilians and pushed thousands from their homes. As a Darfuri journalist and human rights monitor (currently exiled in Kenya) I have been documenting these abuses on a daily basis. I have been struggling with patchy phone and internet connections and wrestling with my own sense of powerlessness.
As the number of dead has surged, I have been asking why all these international humanitarian treaties and laws are failing us, and why the UN Security Council and the African Union are staying so conspicuously silent.
With the RSF now in control over most of Darfur and the capital Khartoum, and the national army in charge of north and eastern Sudan, I fear our country is likely to be split like neighbouring Libya, which is ruled by rival governments. Already, the RSF is trying to present itself as a legitimate ruler in Darfur. It has been doing some basic community services and has even sent humanitarian aid to some of the same communities that its fighters have terrorised.
Yet, as RSF supporters carry out a propaganda campaign – calling on people to return to their homes – its members and allied militiamen continue to abuse people. Much of Darfur is scarred by war and there is little to suggest the paramilitary force can rebuild it. Instead, an RSF-controlled Darfur will mean no accountability for perpetrators of atrocities. It will mean no justice for people like Abdo Idriss, a man whose death symbolises to me the loss of so many innocent and peaceful lives in this war.
Haunting videos and shameful silence
The RSF is led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is better known as Hemedti. It evolved out of the Darfuri Arab militias – known as the Janjaweed – that were created by our government in the early 2000s to crush Darfur’s mostly non-Arab rebel groups.
Darfur has been badly impacted by conflict since the RSF and army started fighting each other in April. Battles rocked major towns for several months, with both sides showing little regard for the many civilians being stuck between them. The RSF was in the ascendency from the start, but it began taking full control of Darfur in late October. It has now seized army garrisons in four out of the region’s five states: Central Darfur, East Darfur, South Darfur, and West Darfur.
In several places, local community leaders arranged for the army to surrender their bases to avoid a bloody final showdown. These interventions saved lives and show the powerful role that civil society groups are still playing in this conflict. However, the army fought back in other areas and mobilised local residents to help. This resulted in acts of collective punishment against civilians by the RSF, most notably in Ardamata, a suburb of El Geneina, the capital city of West Darfur.
RSF forces there accused members of the non-Arab Masalit group of supporting the army. After seizing the military base in early November, its fighters went through residential areas, killing hundreds, possibly thousands of Masalit. Survivors who fled to neighbouring Chad told me that Masalit and other non-Arab civilians in Ardamata were slaughtered during house-to-house searches. Others said civilians were seized at checkpoints, taken to the side of the road, and shot dead.
In one of several videos that surfaced, I watched a man asking to be shot by RSF fighters who were forcing him and others to bury themselves alive. I do not have the words to describe this kind of inhumanity.
The Ardamata attack was the latest in a line of RSF atrocities against West Darfur’s Masalit. Since April, over half a million Masalit have fled to Chad, and rights groups, UN experts, and governments have warned of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Yet the international community has remained shamefully silent, and the UN Security Council is yet to pass a substantive resolution on any aspect of the broader Sudan conflict.
Twice attacked, twice displaced
Ardamata was not the only place attacked by the RSF in recent weeks. Civilians at a displacement camp in Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur, were also targeted en masse as the paramilitary group seized the army garrison there in late October. The displacement camp housed victims from the early 2000s conflict, and occupied a space close to the army base. Because soldiers crossed through it and used its market, RSF fighters targeted it for collective punishment.
I spoke to a man from the camp – which is called Hasahisa – who said he has seen 12 people killed by RSF fighters and allied militias as they raided his part of the camp. He said women and girls were raped, and the dead were left unburied. As thousands of people fled, homes were burnt and properties were looted. My source said the militia fighters took everything: tuk-tuks, tyres, beds, mattresses. He said they left the camp with nothing.
The displaced escaped to other parts of Zalingei and are now sheltering in a school and at a university building. But after several months of conflict, Zalingei is a tough place to be even for those that haven’t been uprooted. The Hasahisa attack brought back memories of the early 2000s for camp residents, and it made me wonder why a powerful militia is targeting people with so little power? Why raid their camps? Why burn down their houses?
Life under the RSF: ‘You may face your death at any moment’
After seizing bases and carrying out these atrocities, the RSF has been trying to scrub away the evidence of its crimes, while at the same time strengthening its reputation as a legitimate ruler in the region.
In parts of West Darfur, the group has been preventing Masalit civilians from escaping to Chad to shield it against allegations of crimes against humanity. “How can there be ethnic cleansing if there are still Masalit in El Geneina,” RSF officials will try to say. Meanwhile, in Ardamata, RSF members have been burying bodies, collecting war remnants, and sending humanitarian aid into the town. They even arranged a reconciliation conference that they forced survivors to join.
How can a group responsible for killing hundreds of civilians, and of raping women and girls, be the one trying to reconcile people just a few days later? This is a question that needs to be raised a hundred times over.
The RSF has also been reputation-laundering in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. Since ousting the military on 26 October, it has used its resources to support a large pharmacy, repair telecommunication services, and help clean up the city’s main market. These kinds of activities have been seized upon by RSF members and supporters who are fighting a propaganda war on social media. Every day, they try to convince people of the RSF’s magnanimity.
Yet insecurity persists in Nyala and the other areas the RSF now controls. Its fighters and allied militiamen are still travelling around with weapons on motorbikes, stealing from people, and sometimes even killing them. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine lost his brother, a rickshaw driver, in Nyala. The driver was at a market when two RSF-aligned militiamen asked him to take them to a northern neighbourhood. When they arrived, they shot him dead and took his vehicle.
“We don’t see shells and missiles, but we don’t have any safety,” my friend told me when describing the incident. “You may be moving around, and you may face your death at any moment. You cannot go and report it because there is no mechanism to do so.”
Standing against the division of Sudan
While the lack of justice and accountability is perhaps the bleakest prospect of an RSF-ruled Darfur, it is hard to imagine how a genocidal militia will go about putting together any kind of functioning government.
How are they going to help businesses operate when there are no banks? How are they going to pay government workers their salaries? Will they be running police stations and the judicial system? What are they going to do to rebuild the towns, cities, and villages that their own forces have wrecked? Government buildings have been destroyed, so who is going to pay to fix them?
To take full control of Darfur, the RSF will also need to capture North Darfur state. Yet various non-Arab rebel groups have promised to support the army if the RSF tries to do this. More bloody battles like those in West Darfur likely loom.
To avoid these nightmarish scenarios, we must use our voices to stand against this conflict and against the division of Sudan, advocating instead for a civilian government that rules the whole country equitably. A key job of such a government would be to hold the warring parties accountable for what they have done since April. The memories of Ardamata’s Abdo Idriss, the residents of Hasahisa, and the rickshaw drive from Nyala, all deserve nothing less.
*Name has been changed for security reasons.
The New Humanitarian puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world. Find out more at www.thenewhumanitarian.org.
Reflecting on 2023 and looking ahead
Read our annual review from our Executive Director and learn what lies ahead in 2024.
Made with Adobe Firefly. (Operation Broken Silence)
Friends and partners,
The last 12 months represent the most difficult time in Sudan’s modern history, but they’re also a testament to the unwavering determination of our Sudanese partners and dedication of our community. I am filled with gratitude as I meditate on what we accomplished together:
Childhood Education in Yida Refugee Camp. Attendance at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp climbed from almost 500 students daily to 720 by year’s end. Daily attendance at Renewal Secondary also surged nearly 70% to 437 students. And a record 43 out of the 45 students who took the Grade 8 national exam passed and are now enrolled at Renewal Secondary! A perfect score is 400 points and the five top-performing students were Yesmin Khamis Hassan (368.2), Makabula Peter Abdu (354.3), Amin Luke Nadir (353.4), Emmanuel Abdu Abdurahaman (352.5), and Sabri Andraws Junub (350). Congratulations!
Healthcare in the Nuba Mountains. The team at Mother of Mercy Hospital provided medical care to 72,000 people. This includes performing more than 2,200 surgeries and delivering 720 babies while supporting maternal recovery. The new 80-bed pediatric ward also opened and the staff doubled the number of community clinics they oversee from six to twelve. The dormitory for the hospital’s St. Bakhita Health Sciences Training Institute is now built and a second class of students (30 midwives) are already being trained.
Escape support and relief in southern Darfur. A seven-person team of Sudanese heroes helped roughly 1,900 refugees navigate targeted violence in Darfur, cross safely into South Sudan, and provided a limited amount of food and other basic necessities to those most in need. Many people who made contact with our rudimentary escape network said this was the only source of hope and help they had found since the war began in April. This brave operation was made possible in part by the wonderful generosity of our donors, who paid for fuel, food, and other materials that were used to help people find safe haven.
This is just a snapshot of what you helped our Sudanese partners accomplish in 2023. None of this would have been possible without your generous partnership! Thank you.
A Year Of Navigating Challenges
For those of you who read this annual letter, you know we don’t shy away from sharing areas that we found challenging. Despite the above wins, 2023 marked another difficult year for our mission.
The new war between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) imposed a number of security and resource challenges on all of our Sudanese partners. Even in areas where our work was not impacted directly by regime violence, prices on everything from pencils to basic medical supplies to fuel have skyrocketed.
Many of the Sudanese heroes we support did more with less as the year progressed and their purchasing power declined. Understandably, there was and is a lot of frustration at the situation imposed on them by Sudan’s now fractured regime. Much of the energy from this frustration and anger was redirected back into the work though and played an important role in saving and changing so many lives.
Outside of Sudan, the fundraising hurdles we’ve faced since 2020 remained entrenched. Three years of overblown fears of a major recession in the United States yet again failed to pan out, but this fear kept in place the overarching climate of wariness toward generosity. Many globally-minded donors remained focused on Ukraine and now the Israel/Palestine crisis. As Sudan is not in the news, the feedback we’ve received from a lot of potential supporters is that they don’t see Sudan as the gravest crisis in the world, despite all the data showing that it is. We did find some relief in inflation easing in the United States, leading to some of our longer-term supporters raising their level of generosity. This was an encouraging sign that this season we’ve been in will pass one day, even if we are unsure when.
Similar to our Sudanese partners, we faced these challenges head on as best we could. We more than tripled our outreach to potential new supporters. Membership in The Renewal monthly giving program was stable and grew slightly. We overhauled large portions of our website and messaging, which led to a slight uptick in the number of small dollar donations and new faces joining our movement. After a lot of hard work, our annual 5K finally returned to pre-pandemic fundraising levels and is poised for further growth.
Photo: Children playing after school in Yida Refugee Camp. (Operation Broken Silence)
Looking Ahead To 2024
Your collective determination has inspired us to continue adapting as we head into the new year. The war in Sudan will keep evolving, but there are no indications the violence will cease. There are also no signs that the fundraising hurdles we face will ease on their own. Based on what we learned this year, in 2024 we’ll navigate these challenges with three key principles in mind:
1. Educate, educate, educate. There has always been a sizable gap between the plight of the Sudanese people and what the American public knows. 2023 showed us that gap has widened to a catastrophic point. Few people know about events unfolding in Sudan and even fewer know enough to speak authoritatively about the crisis. This is one of the main reasons why the the Sudanese people have received scant attention. It also means we’re having to spend weeks, sometimes months, educating potential supporters before they’ll even consider getting involved.
In early 2024, we’ll be doing our part to help overcome this challenge by rolling out more robust educational resources. And throughout the year we’ll build out additional tools that anyone can use to help make some noise about Sudan.
2. Become more firmly rooted in the basics. We’ll stay focused on serving our Sudanese partners and supporters to the best of our ability one week and one month at a time. You’ll notice more communication from us in 2024 along with easier and more direct ways to help.
3. Go big on what works. In a similar vein, after three years of throwing new ideas at the wall to see what sticks, we now have a pretty good idea of what helps move our mission forward and what doesn’t. For example, we saw a lot of signs this year that our annual 5K can be a growth engine for our movement and Sudanese partners, so we’ll be leaning much harder into that event. The same with our monthly giving family, The Renewal. We’re a small nonprofit with limited resources, so pooling what we have into what works will be critical for our Sudanese partners and all of you in 2024.
As we stand on the cusp of a new year and the hope that comes with it, will you make one final gift to Operation Broken Silence?
$1,000: Support a teacher in Yida Refugee Camp for an entire semester.
$750: Provide for a nurse assistant in the Nuba Mountains for 5 months.
$500: Deliver food and clothing to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled into South Sudan.
$250: Deliver medical supplies that can be used to serve roughly 70 patients in the Nuba Mountains.
$100: Give pencils, notebooks, and other supplies to 16 students in Yida Refugee Camp.
$50: Provide a day’s worth of medicines for a community clinic in the Nuba Mountains.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Other Ways To Give
Checks - Personal checks and grants from DAFs can be make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Stocks and Mutual Funds - Use this giving form to donate stock. To give from a mutual fund, download our Investment Fund Transfer Form and follow the instructions. Please note that all stock and mutual fund donations are nonrefundable.
Cryptocurrency - Use this giving form to donate crypto. Please note that all crypto donations are nonrefundable.
Fundraise - Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give! These last few days of the year are the perfect time to fundraise.
Give Monthly - The Renewal is our passionate family of monthly givers supporting Sudanese heroes. Sign up here.
As we embark on a new year together, let us carry the lessons of 2023 with us and move forward with the same hope and determination our Sudanese partners have.
Thank you for standing with our friends in Sudan this year. On behalf of them, I wish you a joyous holiday season and a healthy New Year.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Mother of Mercy Hospital Update - December 2023
Get the latest news from one of the few hospitals still functioning in Sudan.
Mother of Mercy Hospital and their twelve community clinics are the backbone of the healthcare system in the Nuba Mountains. The local staff perform operations, battle cancer and preventable diseases, and bring children into the world every day.
Since the new war in Sudan began in April and reached the Nuba Mountains in June, the staff has continued their work despite fuel and supplies becoming more scarce and significantly more expensive. Gasoline alone has surged as high as $27/gallon. Fighting remains isolated to the frontlines for now, but people coming to the hospital and clinics for care are worried about loved ones who live in war-affected areas. It’s a tough time in Sudan, but the life-saving work being done by the staff goes on.
Photo provided by Dr. Tom Catena.
Makka and Adia’s Story
Several times a year, medical director Dr. Tom Catena shares a story of one of their patients who is leaving a lasting impact on the team:
Here in the Nuba Mountains, pregnancy and childbirth is a dangerous prospect. Too many women and babies die from treatable medical issues that could have been prevented with access to medical care.
I am so grateful for what your support is helping us to accomplish at Gidel Hospital. Together, we are caring for women and their newborns, saving lives, and helping to restore a sense of joy and safety as mothers labor and give birth.
Without your generosity, Makka’s story could have turned out very differently. The 28-year-old was pregnant and had experienced urinary pain throughout her pregnancy. She made the four hour round-trip from her village of Timbera to Gidel Hospital for treatment. We gave her medicine, which resolved her pain, and she could return home.
The next time we saw Makka, she had carried a healthy baby to term and was in labor. Our midwives cared for her, but after 24 hours, she had not progressed. Another full day passed, and I was called in to examine her. Upon examination, I found that Makka had bladder stones obstructing her labor. She needed a caesarean section immediately. We performed the surgery, delivered a healthy baby girl, and removed the painful bladder stones.
Makka and baby Adia are both healthy and have returned home to Timbera. In Sudan, too many mothers and babies die in childbirth because of a lack of medical care. But because Makka had access to a caesarean section at Gidel, she and Adia are alive and will be reunited with their family.
“I thank God for all those who support this hospital,” said Makka. “And I send thanks to its dedicated staff. Without them, my child and I would have died.”
Recent Updates
2023 was a busy year at the hospital and clinics. The war in Sudan has driven tens of thousands of refugees into the Nuba Mountains, some of them with devastating injuries. Healthcare access in Sudan has been so thoroughly decimated by the war that roughly 70% of all medical facilities in the country have been damaged or run out of supplies. Mother of Mercy is one of the only referral hospitals still functioning in the country.
This year, the hospital team provided medical care for 72,000 people. This includes performing more than 2,200 surgeries and delivering 720 babies while supporting maternal recovery.
Photo provided by Dr. Tom Catena.
The new 80-bed pediatric ward also opened and the staff doubled the number of community clinics they oversee from six to twelve.
Mother of Mercy is now a teaching hospital that continues adding training capacity. The dormitory for the hospital’s St. Bakhita Health Sciences Training Institute is now built and a second class of students (30 midwives) are already being trained. The Nuba Mountains region is desperately short on trained healthcare workers and the clinical school is a central component of resolving this challenge over the long haul.
One of the future healthcare workers benefiting from training is Zayako. He is from the Nuba Mountains and for much of his life has heard the drone of warplanes flying overhead. Zayako has always wanted to care for the needs of his people, who have suffered so much through three decades of war.
When Zayako’s mother was gravely injured by bomb shrapnel from a regime warplane during the last war, he set out to become a medical worker. He traveled to South Sudan for high school. When the St. Bakhita Health Sciences Training Institute opened at Mother of Mercy Hospital, he returned to Nuba and joined the training program for physician assistants.
Zayako is part of the inaugural class of clinical officers who will graduate in 2025. He and the other members of his graduating class are dedicated to caring for the needs of their people. After graduation, Zayako wants to help clinics throughout the Nuba Mountains, bringing quality medical care to the villages and the people there who need treatment.
Looking Ahead To 2024
Photo provided by Dr. Tom Catena.
Next year is all about building more healthcare capacity into the Nuba region. There are two primary ways the medical team is moving forward.
First, the staff is preparing to expand the community clinic program from 12 to 19 clinics. Each of these clinics not only sees 15,000-20,000 patients every year, but also lightens the burden on the main hospital so they can spend more time focusing on the most difficult cases. Expanding the clinical network is central to providing quality medical care to over 325,000 patients every year.
$240,000 is needed to accomplish the clinic expansion. At a time when healthcare access is evaporating in Sudan, it is critical that these new clinics come online. No matter how big or small your gift is, it will be a significant step toward expanding the network.
Second, capacity needs to continue growing at Mother of Mercy Hospital. Each clinic relies on the hospital to function. The clinical school students receive their training at the hospital. The hospital oversees the community clinics, which refer the most difficult cases back to the hospital. It’s a cycle that ensures people get the care they need when they need it.
What the hospital needs most heading into 2024 is medicine. Patients sometimes have had to wait weeks to receive the medication they need and, if not for generous donors like you, might never get it at all. One of the staff’s key goals in 2024 is to secure all of the medications patients need so that they no longer have to wait.
Your generosity will make all the difference:
$11,200: Delivers a full month’s worth of medicine to the hospital.
$2,800: Covers a full week’s worth of medicine at the hospital.
$1,000: Pays the monthly salaries for 5 community midwives.
$750: Provides for 10 children in the pediatric ward.
$500: Helps expand the clinic network.
$250: Sponsors a life-saving C-section.
$100: Pays almost all of a nurse aid’s monthly salary.
$50: Gives a day’s worth of medicine to three clinics.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Other Ways To Give
Checks - Personal checks and grants from DAFs can be make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Stocks and Mutual Funds - Use this giving form to donate stock. To give from a mutual fund, download our Investment Fund Transfer Form and follow the instructions. Please note that all stock and mutual fund donations are nonrefundable.
Cryptocurrency - Use this giving form to donate crypto. Please note that all crypto donations are nonrefundable.
Fundraise - Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give! These last few days of the year are the perfect time to fundraise.
Give Monthly - The Renewal is our passionate family of monthly givers supporting Sudanese heroes. Sign up here.