November 6, 2024 (AL-HILALIYA) - A siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the town of Al-Hilaliya in Al Jazirah state has resulted in at least 67 deaths, including 54 from suspected poisoning and a dire humanitarian situation for trapped civilians, according to a local civilian group. The RSF, a paramilitary group, has besieged Al-Hilaliya, 70 km (43 miles) northeast of the state capital, Wad Madani, for weeks following the defection of its local commander to the army. The Al Jazirah Conference, a civil society organization, said on Wednesday that 13 people had been killed by RSF gunfire, while 54 had died from poisoning. It accused the RSF of giving detainees food contaminated with urea fertilizer. 'Last week saw similar poisoning cases…but the severe hunger of the besieged left them no choice,' an eyewitness told the Al Jazirah Conference. The witness added that the RSF charged one million Sudanese pounds (around $500) to allow people to leave for Umm Dawaban, east of the Nile. Images shared by activists showed residents crammed into a mosque with dwindling food supplies. The RSF has also launched attacks on other towns and villages in eastern Al Jazirah, a stronghold of the defecting commander. …

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