El-obeid: A medical group has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of killing 13 civilians, including children, in a drone strike in El-Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan, southern Sudan. The incident has raised concerns over the ongoing conflict in the region.
According to Anadolu Agency - English, the Sudan Doctors Network reported that nine members of the same family were among those killed in the attack, which targeted a house in the Al-Jallabiya neighborhood. The network condemned the attack, labeling it a 'massacre,' and emphasized that the targeted area was civilian, with no military presence.
The network further described the attack as a 'full-fledged war crime' and a breach of international humanitarian law, highlighting the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians, particularly children. They urged the international community, human rights organizations, and the United Nations to intervene and pressure RSF leaders to cease targeting residential areas and harming civilians.
The RSF has not yet commented on the accusations regarding the attack. Meanwhile, the region continues to experience intense conflict, with the three Kordofan states-North, West, and South-witnessing significant fighting between the army and the RSF. This violence has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
The RSF currently controls all five states in the Darfur region, except for parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. The Sudanese army maintains control over most of the other 13 states, including key areas in the south, north, east, and central regions, as well as the capital, Khartoum.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the army and the RSF, has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, adding to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.