More than 200 people, including women and children, have been killed in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s southern region. Over the past three days, RSF targeted multiple villages, according to a legal group monitoring the conflict.
The Emergency Lawyers, a human rights organization, reported that RSF launched assaults on Al-Qadaris and Al-Khelwat villages in White Nile State. The paramilitary forces killed unarmed civilians, carried out kidnappings, enforced disappearances, and looted homes. Many civilians were injured or remain missing.
RSF also opened fire on civilians attempting to flee across the Nile River, leading to several drowning deaths. The Emergency Lawyers have described the attacks as genocide.
Sudan’s Foreign Ministry, which is aligned with the country’s military, stated that at least 433 civilians, including children, have been killed in RSF attacks. It labeled the incident as a “horrific massacre.”
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between the military and RSF, each controlling different parts of the country. The fighting has resulted in mass civilian casualties, with international organizations accusing both sides of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and sexual violence.
The ongoing war has displaced over 12 million people, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in Sudan’s history, according to the International Rescue Committee.