125 Sudanese army soldiers who were held captive by a rival paramilitary force have been freed, as per the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The soldiers were released on June 28 amidst the ongoing violent conflict between the Sudanese army, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
The clashes between the two factions have been raging for 11 weeks, resulting in a death toll of over 3,000 people, as reported by the country's Health Ministry. Additionally, more than 2.5mn people have been displaced due to the fighting.
The freed soldiers, 44 of whom were wounded, were transported from the capital city of Khartoum to Wad Madani, located approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the capital. The ICRC, in a brief statement, did not disclose the specific location where the soldiers were held captive.
Jean Christophe Sandoz, the ICRC's head of delegation in Sudan, expressed the significance of the soldiers' release. The release coincided with the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha and followed separate cease-fire announcements by both Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
"This positive step means that families will be celebrating Eid-al Adha with their loved ones," Jean Christophe Sandoz stated
Throughout the conflict, the RSF claims to have detained hundreds of army soldiers, often featuring interviews with the captured soldiers on their social media platforms. These videos show soldiers appearing bruised and frightened, though they convey that they are being treated well by their RSF captors.
Earlier this week, both generals separately announced a cease-fire to mark the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, which fell on June 28. Residents from East Khartoum said light gunfire and intermittent explosions could be heard throughout the truce.
While both sides have declared numerous cease-fires since the outbreak of the conflict, none have been successful. The United Nations (U.N.) and other human rights organizations have consistently criticized both the army and RSF for harming civilians and violating international law.
In a recent statement, the U.N. mission in Sudan condemned the army for bombing residential areas and accused the RSF of perpetrating ethnically targeted violence and sexual violence against civilians in the western Darfur region. Local rights groups and the U.N. have reported that the RSF, along with Arab militias, have been targeting non-Arab tribes in West Darfur, with the Dar Masalit sultanate estimating that over 5,000 people were killed in the capital of Genena.
The ICRC's involvement in Sudan has extended beyond the release of the captured soldiers. Earlier in June, they conducted a rescue operation, saving 297 children from an orphanage in Khartoum. The mission came after reports of 71 children dying from hunger and illness in the facility between mid-April and early June.
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