Mon May 05 13:31:42 UTC 2025: ## Sudan’s RSF Accused of Mirroring Israel’s Tactics in Darfur Massacre

**Khartoum, Sudan** – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan stand accused of employing the same human rights terminology used by Israel to justify civilian killings, according to human rights lawyers and international observers. The RSF’s actions in the April 11th attack on Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, where at least 500 civilians were killed, mirror Israel’s tactics in Gaza.

The RSF claims Zamzam was a military zone, a justification echoing Israel’s labeling of hospitals and schools in Gaza as military targets. This tactic, critics argue, strips civilians of legal protection under international humanitarian law (IHL). Similar to Israel’s actions, the RSF also characterized the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands as a “humanitarian evacuation.”

Legal experts like Rifaat Makawi, a Sudanese human rights lawyer, and Luigi Daniele, a senior lecturer on IHL at Nottingham Law School, have drawn parallels between the RSF’s actions and Israel’s conduct in Gaza, stating that both employ a template for mass extermination and potentially genocide. The UN has already accused both sides in Sudan’s civil war of grave crimes.

The Zamzam camp, established in 2003 to shelter “non-Arab” communities fleeing violence, became a symbol of the atrocities endured by these groups. The RSF’s siege of the camp, coupled with the blockade of aid, led to famine before the attack. Survivors report widespread massacres and ethnic cleansing, with allegations of rape and the abduction of women and girls.

The RSF, which emerged from the Janjaweed militias known for atrocities in Darfur, has a history of targeting “non-Arab” communities. Their current actions, coupled with statements from RSF-backed political alliances downplaying accusations of sexual violence, further fuel concerns of a systematic campaign against these groups.

This alarming situation has prompted international outrage and calls for accountability. The parallels between the RSF’s tactics and Israel’s actions in Gaza highlight a worrying trend of using human rights language to mask war crimes and potentially genocide. The international community is urged to investigate these claims and hold those responsible accountable.

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