40 dead as Rapid Support Forces bomb areas in Sudan's capital

PORT SUDAN, Sudan

At least 40 people were reported dead following artillery bombardment by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Omdurman area of Sudan's capital Khartoum on Friday.

The local Karari Resistance Committee said in a statement that certain residential areas in Omdurman were subjected to intense artillery bombardment by the RSF.

According to the statement, there have been 40 confirmed deaths and over 50 injuries, suggesting that the number of dead and injured could increase.

On June 5, the Medani Resistance Committees reported that more than 100 people were killed in RSF attacks in the village of Wed en-Nora in the central Gezira state.

The Sudan Sovereignty Council accused the RSF of committing a massacre by killing numerous innocent people in the village, while the RSF claimed they attacked three camps housing the army, intelligence, and volunteer soldiers.

Meanwhile, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN assistant secretary-general and deputy special representative for Sudan, expressed shock over casualties in the village of Wed en-Nora in Gezira state.

Salami stated that while the UN does not have all the details of the events on June 5th, there are credible reports of heavy weapon use in civilian areas, adding: "We call for a comprehensive investigation into what happened in Wed en-Nora and for those responsible for these crimes to be held accountable. The RSF has confirmed that its members participated in ground operations in the area."

Since the war began in mid-April 2023 and spread across most of Sudan's states, the army has maintained control in the northern and eastern states, while the RSF has been active in the western and southern states.

The conflict caused by a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) inflicted severe damage to infrastructure, health care, education, the economy, and society.

Efforts to end the conflict through talks in Jeddah mediated by Saudi Arabia and the US, a peace initiative led by neighboring countries under Egypt's leadership, the efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa and discussions in Bahrain's capital Manama have all failed to yield results.

According to the UN, the conflict in Sudan has resulted in over 16,000 deaths, displaced approximately 8.7 million people and left over 25 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, making it one of the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.