At least 56 people were killed across greater Khartoum on Saturday as artillery shelling and air strikes continued to intensify the conflict between Sudan’s regular army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been locked in a battle for power since April 2023, with the army fighting to take control of the capital and its sister cities.
The RSF was responsible for killing 54 people at a busy market in Omdurman on Saturday, overwhelming the city’s Al-Nao Hospital. Civilians were also killed and dozens wounded in an air strike on an RSF-controlled area across the Nile in Khartoum.
The conflict has resulted in widespread devastation, with over 12 million displaced and tens of thousands killed. The war has forced most health facilities out of service, leaving those affected struggling to access basic medical care. Al-Nao Hospital reported dire shortages of essential supplies, including shrouds, blood donors, and stretchers.
As the conflict rages on, witnesses reported rocket and artillery fire on Omdurman’s streets, coming from the city’s western outskirts where the RSF remains in control. The situation has been described as a stalemate, with the army retook several bases in Khartoum last month, pushing the RSF into the city’s outskirts.
The conflict has had severe humanitarian consequences, with entire neighborhoods taken over by fighters and at least 3.6 million civilians forced to flee. Those remaining have reported frequent artillery fire on residential areas and widespread hunger in besieged neighborhoods. The UN estimates that at least 106,000 people are suffering from famine in Khartoum, while a further 3.2 million experience crisis levels of hunger.
The conflict has also sparked international condemnation, with the US sanctioning top Sudanese officials for their roles in the war. The designation comes as part of efforts to hold those responsible accountable for gross human rights abuses and war crimes.
Source: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/02/01/at-least-56-killed-as-fighting-grips-greater-khartoum_6737673_4.html