Authorities reported that a suspected drone strike by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces targeted a prison in the southern Kordofan region on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 inmates. Additionally, Information Minister Khalid Aleiser stated that fifty other detainees were injured in the attack on the main prison located in Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan.
Aleiser, the spokesperson for the military-aligned government, blamed the Rapid Support Forces for the recent attack, which coincided with an increase in drone strikes by the militia targeting military-controlled regions throughout the country. Sudan descended into civil war on April 15, 2023, when long-standing tensions between the military and the RSF erupted into open conflict in Khartoum and other areas. Obeid is located 363 kilometers (225 miles) south of Khartoum.
The RSF did not provide an immediate response following their recent multi-day drone assault on Port Sudan, a Red Sea city that currently serves as the interim seat for the Sudanese government. The attacks targeted the city's airports, maritime port, and various facilities, including fuel storage sites. Earlier, the military targeted Nyala airport in South Darfur, where the RSF is known to receive foreign military support, including drones. Local media reports indicate that dozens of RSF officers were killed in the strike last week.
In the western region of Darfur, an artillery strike by the RSF on Friday targeted a camp for displaced individuals, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people, as reported by the Emergency Room, an activist organization monitoring the conflict. Among the deceased were two parents, their eight children, and the children's grandmother, according to the group.
The RSF has been conducting near-daily assaults on the camp and the nearby city of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, which the paramilitary group has been trying to capture for over a year. Last month, the RSF violently stormed Sudan’s largest displacement camp, Zamzam, resulting in the deaths of more than 400 individuals. The militia seized control of the camp, forcing its residents to flee.
The conflict has resulted in a minimum of 24,000 deaths, though the actual figure is probably much higher.Approximately 13 million people have been displaced, with 4 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Certain regions are facing famine conditions. The violence has been characterized by horrific acts, including mass rape and killings driven by ethnic hatred, which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in Darfur, as reported by the U.N. and international human rights organizations.
In the western region of Darfur, an artillery strike by the RSF on Friday targeted a camp for displaced individuals, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people, as reported by the Emergency Room, an activist organization monitoring the conflict. Among the deceased were two parents, their eight children, and the children's grandmother, according to the group.
The RSF has been conducting near-daily assaults on the camp and the nearby city of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, which the paramilitary group has been trying to capture for over a year. Last month, the RSF violently stormed Sudan’s largest displacement camp, Zamzam, resulting in the deaths of more than 400 individuals. The militia seized control of the camp, forcing its residents to flee.
The conflict has resulted in a minimum of 24,000 deaths, though the actual figure is probably much higher.Approximately 13 million people have been displaced, with 4 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Certain regions are facing famine conditions. The violence has been characterized by horrific acts, including mass rape and killings driven by ethnic hatred, which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in Darfur, as reported by the U.N. and international human rights organizations.
