In the scorching heat of Sudan’s Darfur region, a new wave of horror unfolds as families fleeing ethnic violence are gunned down or held for ransom by armed militias. Survivors and aid groups describe systematic brutality, with women, children, and the elderly targeted in a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The Exodus from Hell
Darfur’s decades-long violence has escalated as clashes between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and rebel groups force civilians to flee. Entire villages empty as people escape on foot, often with nothing. Militias ambush escape routes, demanding ransoms—or executing those who can’t pay.
“They shot my brother in front of me because we had no money,” said Amina Ibrahim, who reached Chad after a brutal journey. “They said if you can’t pay, you don’t deserve to live.”*
A Market for Human Lives
A chilling “ransom economy” thrives, with militias profiting from desperation. Families are torn apart—women and children held hostage until relatives abroad pay exorbitant sums (up to $2,000 per person). Those who can’t pay are killed or abandoned in the desert.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports convoys ambushed, men executed, and women taken as bargaining chips. “This is commercialized slaughter,” said an HRW investigator.
International Silence, Local Desperation
While global focus stays on Ukraine and Gaza, Darfur’s crisis worsens. Over 8 million Sudanese are displaced, with Darfur hardest hit. Aid groups struggle to reach victims due to fighting and roadblocks.
“We’re witnessing a slow-motion genocide,” said an MSF worker in Chad, where refugees arrive daily with gunshot wounds and trauma.
Who’s Behind the Violence?
The RSF—a paramilitary group linked to the Janjaweed—leads the brutality, allegedly backed by foreign interests. Tribal militias and rival factions compound the bloodshed, leaving civilians trapped.
A Cry for Help
Refugees in Chad and South Sudan beg for intervention. “The world forgot us,” said an elder in Adré. “We need protection, or we’ll die.”
For Darfur’s people, the choice is grim: risk death at home or on the run. With no end in sight, the world’s inaction fuels their suffering.
(Names changed for safety)
— Reporting by NextMinuteNews
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