Khartoum: Rhino – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rejected the content of a false and misleading report issued by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleging that its fighters committed crimes of rape and sexual slavery of girls and women, pointing out that the organization identified the areas where the alleged violations occurred in the Nuba Mountains, which are outside its areas of control in the first place.

In a statement on Friday, the RSF called on HRW to withdraw its report, which it described as erroneous and apologize for it, and not to adopt the misleading narrative promoted by members of Al-Burhan’s army and his militias, and denounced the report’s departure from the method of professional investigation and neutral legal position, saying that it “became more like a propaganda work that serves the agenda of Al-Burhan’s militia and allied brigades in the Sudanese conflict,” noting that the flawed report was filled with a dramatic style intended to influence public opinion through fabricated narratives and added: (“We do not know where the alleged victims spoke from, and how the organization was able to verify their claims).

The statement continued: “We refute everything contained in the distorted report, based on objective grounds, considering that the Habila area is mainly composed of the families of the forces present in the area and the areas referred to in the report, instead we point out that there is no military command for our forces in South Kordofan, which negates the allegations of rape and slavery.”

The statement continued: “It is known that the RSF controls 70% of Sudan’s territory, and it has not been shown that it has enslaved women in the areas under its control, especially the capital Khartoum. Why are the alleged violations in these areas specifically, knowing that our forces have not fought with the “SPLM” that controls these areas”
“Our forces regret that international organizations with the expertise and capabilities that enable them to conduct adequate investigations, in order to avoid falling into the trap of political agendas and propaganda that lack legal basis”.