Fierce clashes in South and West Sudan have resulted in significant casualties, with medics reporting at least 65 fatalities and over 130 injuries on Monday alone. The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces has intensified, particularly in regions such as South Kordofan and Darfur.
In South Kordofan, the capital city of Kadugli was struck by artillery fire, leading to the deaths of at least 40 individuals and injuring 70 others, according to medical sources. The governor of the state, Mohamed Ibrahim, attributed the attack to a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu. This group, which retains a presence in the region, has been implicated in previous clashes with both the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Governor Ibrahim condemned the attack on civilians, branding it an effort to destabilize the area, and committed to removing rebel forces from the mountains surrounding Kadugli.
The shelling, which targeted a local market, has raised alarms amid the larger context of escalating violence in the region. Since the onset of the conflict in April 2023, the strife between the regular army and the RSF has led to widespread chaos throughout South Kordofan.
Simultaneously, a military airstrike in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, resulted in the deaths of 25 people and 63 injuries. The strike occurred in the Cinema District, an area reportedly under RSF control. The RSF accused the army of deploying “barrel bombs” against civilians in various neighborhoods of Nyala, which has become a critical battleground in the conflict.
Darfur has seen the RSF dominate much of the area, including Nyala, which is located 195 kilometers from El-Fasher, the last stronghold of the army in the region. El-Fasher has been under siege by the RSF since May, placing immense pressure on its population of around two million residents. Recent reports from the UN’s migration agency indicated that more than 600,000 people have been displaced from North Darfur alone since the conflict began, with the International Organization for Migration documenting 95 incidents of violence related to the war.
The violence continues unabated, particularly in greater Khartoum, where fighting has escalated between the army and the RSF. The army has recently made significant advances against the RSF, including the breaking of a siege on its headquarters and the Signal Corps, both previously encircled since the conflict’s inception. However, this has been at a heavy cost, as evidenced by the shelling in the bustling Omdurman marketplace last week, which claimed the lives of at least 60 individuals and injured more than 150.
Reports of airstrikes in Khartoum have also surfaced, with a recent attack on an RSF-controlled area resulting in civilian casualties. Both warring factions have been accused of indiscriminately targeting civilian areas, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The conflict has reportedly led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people, alongside the displacement of over 12 million, leaving much of Sudan’s already fragile infrastructure in ruins.
In response to the escalating violence, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, expressed deep concern on Monday over allegations of summary executions of civilians in Khartoum North by fighters and militias allied with the army. Many of the victims have reportedly originated from the conflict-ravaged regions of Darfur and Kordofan. Dujarric urged all parties involved to cease hostilities and pursue a sustainable peace, emphasizing that ordinary Sudanese citizens—women, children, and men alike—are suffering the consequences of ongoing battles between the factions.
