16 killed, 8 injured in paramilitary forces attack in W. Sudan: volunteer groups

Alsharq Tribune-AFP 

At least 16 civilians were killed and eight others injured in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a village in North Kordofan State, western Sudan, volunteer groups said on Friday.

"Yesterday (Thursday) evening, RSF forces attacked the village of Markaz Al-Ziyadiya in North Kordofan State," which also left six individuals missing, the Sudanese Doctors Network, a volunteer group, said in a statement.

The network condemned what it described as "a brutal attack," stating that it constitutes a full-fledged "war crime" and reflects a systematic pattern by the RSF of targeting civilians in Sudan.

For its part, the Coordination of Resistance Committees in North Kordofan, also a volunteer group, confirmed in a statement that 16 civilians were killed in the RSF attack on the village of Markaz Al-Ziyadiya, noting that several others were wounded or taken captive.

According to the statement, an RSF armed group launched an assault on civilians inside their homes and looted residents' properties in the process.

The RSF has not yet issued any comment regarding the incident.

Recently, clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF have intensified in the Kordofan region, which includes North, West, and South Kordofan states. The RSF controls most towns in West Kordofan and is imposing a siege on El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan.

Sudan remains gripped by a conflict between the SAF and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, both internally and across borders, deepening the country's humanitarian crisis.