RED SEA STATE, Sudan: Sudanese paramilitary forces have reportedly killed at least 20 people in an attack on a village south of the capital Khartoum, according to local activists from the Resistance Committee, as stated on Sunday.
The rapid support forces (RSF) carried out the assault on the village of Um Adam, located 150 kilometers south of Khartoum, on Saturday, coordinated by pro-democracy groups. The conflict between the army, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has been ongoing since April 15 last year.
The toll of the war has been devastating, with thousands of casualties reported, including up to 15,000 in a single town within the war-torn Darfur region, according to United Nations experts. Moreover, the conflict has displaced over 8.5 million people, crippled Sudan’s already fragile infrastructure, and pushed the nation to the brink of famine.
The attack on Saturday resulted in “more than 200 injuries, ranging from serious to minor, and over 20 fatalities, although the exact count of casualties remains uncertain,” the Resistance Committee’s statement conveyed.
A medical source at Manaqil hospital, located 80 kilometers away, confirmed receiving “200 injured individuals, some arriving belatedly,” highlighting challenges due to blood shortages and insufficient medical staff.
The healthcare system in Sudan faces severe challenges, with over 70 percent of healthcare facilities out of service, exacerbating the crisis in the aftermath of such attacks.
Both sides involved in the conflict have faced allegations of war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, looting, and hindering aid efforts.
Following the RSF’s takeover of Al-Jazira state in December, situated just south of Khartoum, similar attacks on villages like Um Adam have intensified. By March, the UK Center for Information Resilience documented at least 108 villages and settlements across Sudan that had been set ablaze and either partially or completely destroyed due to the conflict.
