البشاقرة.. بلدة أنقذها (المراكبية) من انتهاكات الدعم السريع

Ayn – July 9, 2026

On board a fishing boat, “Al-Naeem Abdel-Mutaal” and others rescued hundreds of residents of the town of “Al-Bashaqra Sharq” in Al-Jazirah State in central Sudan, during the attacks of the Rapid Support Forces at the end of 2024, and their perpetration of widespread violations against the residents .

Between October 20 and 28, 2024 and the following November, the Rapid Support Forces launched successful and intensive attacks with combat vehicles on villages east of Al-Jazirah , and stormed Al-Bashaqra East as part of this ongoing series, which led to a mass exodus of the villagers, some of them on foot and many of them crossed the Blue Nile River via traditional boats to the west bank towards the Al-Takina area.

The most harrowing moment, according to Al-Naeem, was when a member of the Rapid Support Forces fired a shot at his boat, which was full of people fleeing the Al-Bashaqra area, causing a hole in the vessel. In an interview with (Ayn), Al-Naeem said, “After the Rapid Support Forces entered the town of Al-Bashaqra in the east, I began transporting residents to the other bank free of charge because I knew the horrors and tragedies they had endured, and I saw the women weeping in terror and fear for their families and children.”

The boat that Al-Naeem worked on was intended for fishing, but “when we became fed up with the Rapid Support Forces’ violations, I had to transport and rescue people with it. At first, we were about (17) boats, and after the violations increased, the number doubled to (40) to help transport the people to a safe place.

Panic attacks still plague Ibrahim Abdul Raouf, the owner of a boat that accompanied Al-Naeem in transporting the fugitives. He is a resident of Al-Takina village located on the west bank. Abdul Raouf tells (Ayn): “When I remember what the Rapid Support Forces did to us, my body trembles with fear. They put weapons to our heads and threatened us, but we escaped death.”

Amin Mohamed Siddiq, a resident of Al-Bashaqra East, recalls the Rapid Support Forces’ actions against the villagers during their raid. “They interrogated us, asking about gold, money, and cars,” he says. In an interview with (Ayn), he continues, “They left and came back the next day, beat me, and brought my relatives to the same place. They assaulted us collectively until we nearly lost consciousness.”

What prompted my friend to flee with his family from his village, according to him, was that “members of the Rapid Support Forces asked for one of the girls to marry her. At that time, her father told them that she was engaged to her cousin, and they replied that they were more deserving. They called her mother and told her that they to marry the girl, so she asked them to come in the morning with the marriage official to conduct the marriage ceremony. At dawn the next day, we left the with our families across the village “Nile.”

A return that is lacking in many ways

Following the army’s recapture of the town of Al-Bashaqra in the east in January 2025, the residents of the area gradually returned to their homes. However, the streets of Al-Bashaqra were no longer the same after the Rapid Support Forces stormed the village. The war had filled them with fear and pain. According to Al-Hajj Abdul Rahman, the streets of Al-Bashaqra are now different from what they were. He tells (Ayn): “After returning, we faced difficulties in life and livelihood. We worked on restoring the water supply and operating the stations, as well as the bakeries. Studies were delayed a lot in the schools, and the school years accumulated. We tried to solve some of the education problems with the teachers, and we are currently striving to solve the electricity problem with community efforts or with the help of the government.”

Living conditions and life were not the same as when the residents of Al-Bashaqra returned after their displacement to different areas in Sudan. Abdul Aziz Abbas, a resident of Al-Bashaqra East, told (Ayn) how harsh life was after returning, saying: “We returned to Al-Bashaqra, and we found the conditions difficult. I found my shop empty, and it had goods worth eighty million pounds. Now, after security and stability, the children still feel panicked if they hear loud noises.”

With optimism and clear hope, Amin Muhammad Siddiq, a resident of Al-Bashaqra East, describes the feeling of returning home as beautiful, especially since they suffered displacement and the high costs of rent and living. He added, “We have reunited as families after being scattered in different cities. Now we only lack electricity, and we hope it will return soon. People have relied on solar energy as an alternative to electricity at the moment, but the cost of buying it is high for some families.”