RSF and Arab Militia Massacre Civilians in Misterei, West Darfur — 28 to 97 Masalit Killed

RSF fighters and allied Arab militias launched a coordinated assault on Misterei, a predominantly Masalit town in West Darfur, on May 28, 2026, killing between 28 and 97 civilians. Attackers arrived on motorcycles, horses, and armed pickup trucks from the west in multiple waves, flanking the town to the north and south. They used assault rifles, recoilless rifles, RPGs, and vehicle-mounted machine guns against residents attempting to flee. Satellite fire detection recorded active fires over Misterei every day from May 29 through June 2; imagery from June 3 showed extensive burn marks across all residential areas, consistent with systematic destruction of civilian property. Misterei is among at least seven towns and villages burned in West Darfur since April 2026, continuing the RSF's pattern of ethnic targeting against Masalit and other non-Arab communities documented since the 2023 El Geneina massacres. Human Rights Watch issued an emergency report documenting the destruction based on satellite evidence and survivor testimony. The attack occurred nine days after SAF formally derecognized the RSF as a state institution (May 18) and one week after the Treaty of Jeddah humanitarian framework was signed (May 20) — demonstrating that formal diplomatic instruments have failed to halt RSF atrocities in West Darfur. The scale of destruction suggests mass civilian displacement and significant casualties, consistent with prior RSF attacks on Darfur villages throughout the war.