PORT SUDAN: At least 12 people were killed and five others wounded on Saturday due to shelling by Sudanese paramilitary forces in the northern region of Darfur, activists reported.
The attack was carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have been engaged in conflict with the regular army since April of last year.
The local resistance committee, one of the volunteer groups coordinating aid efforts across Sudan, confirmed the casualties from the bombardment, which occurred north of the town of Kutum. In addition to the fatalities, RSF fighters reportedly took three persons captive following the attack.
Mini Minawi, the governor of North Darfur and a former rebel leader allied with the regular army, stated that the paramilitaries have torched approximately 20 villages in the area. This escalation in violence underscores the precarious security situation in Darfur, which has seen the RSF gain almost complete control.
Since the onset of hostilities, the regular army has largely retreated to El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, while RSF fighters have maintained a siege on the city, which is home to around two million residents.
The situation has deteriorated to the extent that famine has been declared in the Zamzam camp for displaced persons located south of El-Fasher.
International concern is mounting regarding the dire humanitarian conditions in Darfur and throughout Sudan. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the Security Council late last month, stating, “The people of Sudan are living through a nightmare of violence—with thousands of civilians killed, and countless others facing unspeakable atrocities, including widespread rape and sexual assaults.”
