14 months into the conflict, civilians continue to be caught in the crossfire between warring factions battling for power. A residential area in the state of al-Jazira was bombarded by the paramilitaries of Rsf.
By: Fabio Carminati – Avvenire
Publication Date:
Another massacre of civilians in Sudan as the hidden war in the African continent approaches its 14th month since inception. Sudan, a country plagued by coups and internal wars within the once Islamist party of former dictator Omar el-Bashir, now faces foreign interference, most notably from Russia, militarily supporting the current coup leader. The Rapid Support Forces (Rsf) of Sudan launched an assault on a village in al-Jazira state, resulting in approximately 100 reported deaths according to Governor Al-Tahir Ibrahim Al-Khair, as reported by the official Sudan News Agency. The death toll was later updated to over 150 casualties. The Rsf (led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hametti,” notorious for massacres in Darfur) is at war with the regular army loyal to General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan, who seized power following the overthrow of Basi.
On their social media profiles, the resistance committee shared videos of a “mass grave” in the village square, with rows of white shrouds laid out. The civil war in Sudan has claimed tens of thousands of lives, with up to 15,000 casualties in a single city in western Darfur. Overall, the death toll is estimated at 150,000, as per U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello. More than seven million internally displaced persons live in refugee camps primarily located in neighboring Chad. International humanitarian agencies’ warnings about the refugee crisis and famine have gone unheeded, risking more lives to diseases and malnutrition.
Recent analyses by UNICEF, WFP, and WHO highlight a dire nutritional crisis among Sudanese children and mothers due to the ongoing hostilities exacerbating malnutrition factors such as lack of access to nutritious food, clean water, sanitation services, and increased disease risks. The current displacement of populations fleeing conflict intensifies the risk of famine, with catastrophic consequences, especially for young children.
