Sudan’s military has reported that paramilitary forces carried out drone strikes on Thursday targeting a northern town crucial for housing a significant dam. This incident comes amid escalating violence in the Kordofan region, where ongoing clashes between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to intensify.
The recent surge in violence has attracted international attention, with the Group of Seven (G7) expressing concern on Wednesday regarding the worsening situation in Sudan, which has been embroiled in conflict for over two and a half years. The ongoing war has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and has forced nearly 12 million others from their homes, creating one of the most severe humanitarian crises worldwide.
The RSF has gained ground recently, notably capturing the strategic town of El-Fasher, where reports of atrocities have been on the rise. An official army statement indicated that on Thursday, drone strikes targeted key military installations, including headquarters and the Merowe Dam. The military claimed to have intercepted these attacks, which it attributes to the RSF. Reports from local witnesses indicated that the town experienced a complete power outage after the strikes.
El-Fasher, approximately 330 kilometers north of Khartoum, had been the last army stronghold in the vast western Darfur region until its capture by the RSF in late October. Since then, an estimated 90,000 civilians have fled the town. Kifah, a pregnant woman recently widowed, described the arduous journey of 770 kilometers on foot from El-Fasher to the Al-Dabbah displacement camp, expressing her exhaustion due to a lack of food and water.
The violence has not only been concentrated in El-Fasher but has also spilled over into Kordofan, a strategically significant area connecting west Sudan to the capital. Survivors fleeing the conflict have recounted harrowing experiences, including sexual violence and summary executions. Amy Pope, the chief of the International Organization for Migration, highlighted the desperate need for humanitarian access in Kordofan, where approximately 50,000 people have already been displaced.
Calls for international intervention have emerged, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging action to cut off arms supplies to the RSF. He indicated that any nations backing the RSF would face consequences. While the UAE has faced allegations of support for the paramilitary group, these claims have been categorically denied by Emirati officials.
In a supportive response to Rubio’s statement, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem emphasized the need to hold RSF commander Mohammed Hamdan Daglo accountable for ongoing violence. He appealed to the international community to prevent a repeat of the catastrophic events that transpired in El-Fasher in other besieged areas of Kordofan.
Recent satellite imagery has confirmed ongoing clashes and fires in various towns, including Babanusa, which remains the last army stronghold in West Kordofan, currently under siege along with other strategic locations in North and South Kordofan.
