Masalit genocide

Masalit genocide
Part of the second Darfur genocide and war crimes during the Sudanese civil war
West Darfur highlighted in Sudan
Location13°27′N 22°27′E / 13.450°N 22.450°E / 13.450; 22.450
West Darfur, Sudan
Date24 April 2023 – present
TargetMasalit people, Fur people, Zaghawa people, Berti people, Tama people
Attack type
Genocide, mass killings, massacres, ethnic cleansing
DeathsAt least 10,800 - 17,000 plus
Perpetrator Rapid Support Forces (denied by RSF)
MotiveAnti-Black racism, Arabization

The Masalit genocide is a series of ongoing persecutions and mass killings of the Masalit people in West Darfur carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies as part of the Darfur genocide. The genocide has been recognized by Genocide Watch, the government of the United States, American academic Eric Reeves, Governor of West Darfur Khamis Abakar, and The Economist.

The genocide started in 2023 when the RSF began committing organized massacres of Masalit civilians in Darfur days after the beginning of the Sudanese civil war. It has encompassed the Ardamata massacre, Misterei massacre, and Battle of Geneina, all of which targeted Masalit civilians in the area of Geneina in West Darfur, as well as the El Fasher massacre, which is targeting the Zaghawa people in North Darfur.