The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) accused the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Thursday of “kidnapping and assassinating” the governor of West Darfur State and a leader of the Juba Peace Agreement, Khamis Abdallah Abbakar. His murder follows an interview he gave to the Saudi-owned television channel Al Hadath in which he compared the conflict to genocide.

A spokesperson for the SAF said Abbakar’s death adds a new chapter to the harm committed against all Sudanese people. According to a recent statement from the UN Human Rights Council, more than 1.5 million people have been displaced as a result of the conflict between SAF and RSF, under the command of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, respectively.

Al-Burhan, who also serves as the leader of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), decried Abbakar’s killing on Thursday, and stated that the RSF’s actions are indicative of the scope of the horrific acts committed against defenseless citizens. RSF countered al-Burhan’s statements shortly thereafter. In a statement to the press, RSF claimed they were not involved in Abbakar’s death and that the governor had actually been murdered by two outlaws in cold blood. Nevertheless, RSF said that if it turned out their members were involved, the group would take all necessary steps to hold the offenders accountable.

Abbakar’s killing also received international condemnation, with the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) writing they were “appalled and deeply shocked” by his death. UNITAMS also called for an immediate end to all offensives in Sudan.