A medical organization has accused fighters connected to Sudan’s paramilitary forces of deliberately attacking civilians during a significant Muslim religious celebration, resulting in 27 deaths including elderly victims.
The Sudan Doctors Network, which monitors violence throughout the nation, held forces tied to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces responsible for Thursday’s assaults on communities in the al-Murrah region, located west of Barah town in North Kordofan.
The organization stated that these assaults have intensified the already “catastrophic humanitarian conditions that citizens are enduring due to the ongoing war.”
A comprehensive conflict began in April 2023 following escalating disputes between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces. The Kordofan area has emerged as a primary battleground, with combat escalating across multiple areas, including through unmanned aircraft attacks.
The RSF paramilitary group and its supporters maintain control over the western Darfur area and portions of the Kordofan region along South Sudan’s border — territories abundant in petroleum reserves and gold deposits. The RSF has also engaged in repeated battles with military forces over Barah.
The Thursday incidents occurred during the second day of Eid al-Adha or “Feast of Sacrifice,” a religious observance celebrated by millions of Muslims worldwide.
In their statement, the medical network declared that “targeting villages and civilian areas and liquidating citizens in this horrific manner constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”
Earlier this month, fierce fighting in southern Sudan’s South Kordofan between forces connected to the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North and the Otoro tribe resulted in more than 61 deaths, including nine children. Last week, an unmanned aircraft attack on a crowded marketplace in central Sudan claimed 28 lives and injured dozens more.
Sudan’s conflict began in April 2023 when simmering disputes between the military and RSF developed into comprehensive warfare. The fighting has claimed at least 59,000 lives, forced approximately 13 million people from their homes, and created famine conditions in numerous regions. Over 30 million individuals require humanitarian aid.
The United Nations and human rights organizations have accused both sides in Sudan’s conflict of committing serious crimes, including ethnic cleansing, unlawful executions and sexual violence against non-combatants. Relief organizations warn the actual casualty count may be significantly higher due to restricted access to combat zones across the expansive nation.
