In a surge of violence on Saturday, dozens of civilians died in Omdurman, Sudan, across the Nile River from the capital Khartoum, amid clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Each faction accused the other of using civilians as human shields.
The Sudanese Health Ministry reported that 22 civilians were killed in an airstrike on the Dar al Salam al Amriya area, in the west of Omdurman. The RSF, however, said the airstrike killed 31, denouncing the military’s “systematic bombardment by warplanes” against residential neighborhoods.
Army spokesman Nabil Abdullah stated that the forces continued their operations against the rebels, who had fortified themselves in residential areas in North Khartoum and Omdurman. Abdullah accused the rebel militia of imposing taxes on citizens and displacing people from their homes.
The violent confrontation between the military and the RSF began in mid-April, causing significant civilian casualties. The World Health Organization, citing the Sudanese Health Ministry, reported that as of June, 1,173 civilians had been killed and 11,704 injured. However, a Sudanese Health Ministry source said the conflict had claimed over 3,000 lives and injured around 6,000 people by the end of last week.
Despite the escalating violence, neither the armed forces nor the RSF has shown any intent to negotiate a new cease-fire.