Recent shelling by Sudan’s RSF has resulted in casualties in Omdurman, with six civilians killed and many injured. The army is reportedly close to recapturing the presidential palace in Khartoum, amid a conflict generating a humanitarian crisis with millions displaced and widespread hunger.
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified their attacks over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of six civilians, including two children, in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city, as confirmed by a local doctor. Additionally, Sunday’s shelling injured 36 others, half of whom were children, marking a tragic escalation in the ongoing conflict. The bombardment targeted residential areas, affecting families in their homes and children at play in public spaces.
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has seen the army strive to reclaim territories lost to the RSF. Reports indicate that army forces are nearing the presidential palace, now located less than a kilometer away, aiming to retake it after the RSF seized it at the war’s onset. RSF commander Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo expressed in a recent video address that his troops are determined not to relinquish control of the Republican Palace.
Heavy fighting has continued in Khartoum, with visible smoke plumes and sounds of gunfire and explosions echoing throughout the capital. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced over 12 million people across Sudan, leading to a significant humanitarian crisis, particularly with at least 3.5 million forcibly displaced within Khartoum, as reported by the United Nations.
In El-Obeid, North Kordofan, approximately 400 km from Khartoum, RSF shelling left two civilians dead and 15 wounded on Monday. Furthermore, a recent breakthrough by the military has relieved a nearly two-year RSF blockade of the southern city, connecting Khartoum to the largely RSF-controlled Darfur region. The UN estimates that over 200,000 people are displaced in North Kordofan alone, with close to a million experiencing acute food insecurity.
Clashes have also erupted in the Blue Nile state, which borders South Sudan and Ethiopia, where RSF forces claimed to have achieved significant military successes against army units. The ongoing war has severely fragmented Sudan, with RSF controlling most of Darfur and parts of the south. Conversely, the army has recently gained territory in central Sudan and appears poised to take full control of Khartoum.
The conflict in Sudan has escalated dramatically with recent RSF attacks resulting in notable civilian casualties. The army is advancing towards regaining control of the presidential palace, yet the humanitarian crisis worsens, evidenced by mass displacement and food insecurity affecting millions. As fighting continues in various states, the deeply entrenched divisions between the RSF and army highlight the severe implications for the nation’s stability.
Original Source: www.arabnews.com
