Fighting in the Sudanese city of al-Nahud, a vital location in the West Kordofan state, has resulted in the tragic loss of 19 lives and left 37 individuals wounded, according to reports from ZezapTV. This violent outburst comes amid the ongoing and severe civil conflict that has affected the nation for two years.
Local accounts indicate that the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced via Telegram on Thursday that it had “liberated” al-Nahud from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). In the wake of this announcement, there have been reports of violence and looting throughout neighborhood markets, homes, and vehicles.
Among the fatalities are a doctor, a journalist, and a police officer, highlighting the widespread toll that the conflict continues to take on various sectors of society. Control of al-Nahud is critical for both the RSF and SAF, particularly as clashes between them have escalated in Darfur. According to United Nations reports, the violence has claimed the lives of 542 individuals in the region over the last three weeks.
The RSF has intensified its focus on Darfur in the wake of losing the national capital, Khartoum, last month. Their strategic goal appears to be capturing el-Fasher, the last significant urban area under SAF control, located approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of al-Nahud.
Recent violence in el-Fasher and surrounding refugee camps, including Zamzam and Abu Shouk, has driven hundreds of thousands of individuals to seek safety 60 kilometers (37 miles) away in the town of Tawila. The RSF is currently advancing in its campaign in Darfur and is reportedly making a return towards Khartoum, where they launched artillery fire at the presidential palace, marking their second attack on the capital within a week. Notably, they also shelled the army’s General Command headquarters in Khartoum on Saturday.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has recently remarked on the alarming death toll in Darfur and the extrajudicial actions being reported in both Khartoum and surrounding regions, stating that the situation unfolding in Sudan is of profound concern. The ongoing power struggle between SAF, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF’s Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo has led to a fragmentation of the country, with the army maintaining influence in the northern and eastern regions and the RSF holding dominance in most of Darfur and some parts of the south.
This complex and devastating conflict underscores the urgent need for a resolution that prioritizes the safety and dignity of the Sudanese people.
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