Emergency Lawyers Hold RSF Responsible for Violence in Kobum, South Darfur

Moatinoon
The Emergency Lawyers Group has expressed deep concern over continuing violence and human rights violations in the Kobum area of South Darfur State, where clashes that began on May 30 remain ongoing, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and the displacement of thousands of residents amid a worsening humanitarian and security situation.

In a statement, the group said the violence has killed at least 28 civilians, while thousands have been forced to flee their homes. The clashes have also led to the destruction of residential properties and the looting of markets and civilian belongings.

The group further condemned a drone strike that targeted the area on June 1, killing 12 civilians and injuring dozens more. It stressed that attacks directed against civilians constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.

According to the Emergency Lawyers Group, the violence in Kabum should not be viewed simply as a tribal conflict. The organization argued that the armed groups involved in the fighting belong to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), making the confrontation an internal conflict within a single military structure.

The group said this places responsibility on the RSF leadership for the continuation of hostilities and the resulting killings, destruction, looting, and forced displacement of civilians.

Kabum is located in South Darfur, a region that has experienced recurring tensions over recent years linked to local disputes, competition over resources, and grazing routes. However, the war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023 has significantly complicated the security landscape across Darfur, with the proliferation of weapons, the expansion of armed groups, and the weakening of state institutions.

The Emergency Lawyers Group warned that the exploitation of local and tribal divisions within broader struggles for influence and territorial control is intensifying instability and turning local communities into indirect battlegrounds for competing armed actors.

The organization said this pattern of violence risks deepening social fragmentation and further undermining security throughout Darfur.

The group called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, unrestricted humanitarian access, and the creation of conditions that would allow displaced residents to return safely to their homes.

It also urged the establishment of independent and transparent investigations into alleged violations, accountability for those responsible, an end to the manipulation of local conflicts within the wider war, and effective measures by RSF leadership to control its forces and prevent further abuses.

The Emergency Lawyers Group warned that the continued violence in Kabum poses a direct threat to stability in Darfur and undermines prospects for peace and coexistence among local communities.