In southern Sudanʼs Gezira state several survivors share their first-hand accounts of brutal village raids (that took place during late-oct). The attacks forced people to walk for days through hot-desert conditions seeking help.
A local rights-group documented horrific cases of group-assaults on women – with families being forced to watch; some victims later took their own lives because of trauma. “When men tried to step in and help they were shot down right there“ [[witness statement to Washington Post]]
The violence made many villagers run into nearby crop-fields but attackers kept shooting at them. One especially tragic case shows how dangerous their escape was: a pregnant woman died while giving birth during her escape and sadly her new-born baby didnt survive either
- Multiple cases of attacks on civilians
- Women targeted with extreme violence
- Families separated during escape
- Many people still missing in desert
The attacks show how bad situation is in Sudanʼs southern regions where local communities face non-stop danger from armed groups (who operate without any control)