Situation in Al-Jazirah: What is the Worth of a Kekal Here or There?
By: Mohamed Ghulamabi
On October 20th, Abu Aqila Kiikal, a commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Al-Jazirah State, announced his defection from the militia and his allegiance to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Although this decision is personal and specific to him, its repercussions on Al-Jazirah State have been devastating. His defection does not change the fact that he was, and remains, a significant cause of the suffering endured by the people of the region. Under his leadership, the RSF committed some of the most heinous crimes against the people of Al-Jazirah.
In retaliation for Kiikals defection, the RSF has resorted to brutal measures, including identity-based killings, using civilians as hostages, and employing strategies of war crimes such as kidnapping and raping women and girls, forced displacement, looting, and starvation by burning corn crops in the fields.
Atrocities in Al-Jazirah
In Tamboul, east of Al-Jazirah, over 300 innocent residents have been killed. The RSF’s retaliatory operations have extended to more than thirty villages in eastern Al-Jazirah, forcing survivors to flee into the wilderness in search of safety. The campaigns have reached villages like Azraq in Kamlin locality, where 10 lives were lost, and other areas such as Sareeha (200 killed), Wad Maknoon (14 killed), and Hilaliya (794 killed). Victims have died from direct gunfire, poisoning, disease outbreaks, and the lack of healthcare due to the siege.
Eastern, northern, and southern parts of Al-Jazirah continue to witness sporadic killings and violence.
Mass Displacement
The violence has led to widespread displacement, particularly in East Al-Jazirah locality—one of the eight major localities in the state, with a population that grew from 635,000 in 2010 to over one million in 2024, according to a former official. The locality, comprising five administrative units (Rufaa, Greater Rufaa, Tamboul, Hilaliya, and Wad Rawaa), includes approximately 515 villages and neighborhoods.
Following recent events, thousands of displaced individuals have fled to nearby cities and states:
Halfa Al-Jadida: Approximately 90,000 displaced.
Shendi: Over 30,000 displaced.
Bu Dalaiq: More than 20,000 displaced.
Sabagh: Over 20,000 displaced.
Fardous: 17,000 displaced.
Al-Faw: Over 40,000 displaced.
Gedarif: More than 70,000 displaced.
Kassala: Approximately 10,000 displaced.
River Nile and Northern States: Around 100,000 displaced, including 30,000 in Shendi alone.
In the plains of Al-Butana and areas west of the river in Halawiyin, which remain unsafe, over 40,000 displaced persons are enduring continued violations. In total, the number of displaced individuals exceeds 400,000.
Dire Humanitarian Conditions
Displaced individuals face critical and life-threatening conditions. As winter approaches, the need for food, clothing, clean water, and medicine becomes urgent. Widespread fever outbreaks are reported among them, alongside chronic disease challenges and essential needs for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and emergency medical care. Tragically, two girls aged 15 and 18, both diabetic, have died due to severe exhaustion.
A Question of Worth
This raises the critical question that remains unspoken by some due to political alignments or personal calculations: What is the added value of Abu Aqila Kiikal joining the SAF? Is one man, no matter his rank, worth the deaths, displacements, kidnappings, and suffering inflicted on thousands?
Why has the RSF committed such atrocities against the people of East Al-Jazirah? Moreover, what about the crimes committed in Al-Jazirah while Kiikal commanded the RSF? Would these be forgiven under Burhans amnesty?
