RSF kill 55 people, burn homes in Sudan village: reports

Sudanese paramilitary forces have reportedly killed 55 civilians in a central part of the country after burning their homes, the Sudanese Communist Party said Saturday.

Armed men belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stormed the village of Al-Humaira about 35 km from El-Obeid, the capital of the North Kordofan state.

Residents of the village responded in self-defence in order to protect their homes and belongings, reportedly killing two RSF members while a third got away, the Communist Party said, quoting a statement by the Sudan Tribune.

Shortly after, another armed RSF force arrived in around 20 four-wheel drive vehicles, surrounded the village and proceeded to wreak havoc, killing people, burning homes and stealing their property as a form of punishment, the statement said.

Other than the 55 killed, several others were wounded or went missing. Many women, children and seniors were displaced.

The Sudanese Communist Party said the attack amounts to genocide, holding both the RSF and the Sudanese army responsible for the killing of civilians with shelling and stray bullets.

“Severe malnutrition and dehydration stole the lives of innocent babies in cribs, their tiny bodies wrapped up in white cotton for burial, a collective undoing.”

In Sudan, we went from revolutionary hope to despair https://t.co/D4xlRVEeD2

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) June 4, 2023

The rival military sides have been engaged in a deadly conflict since April 15 which has seen nearly 900 people killed and over a million displaced. They blame each other for the bloodshed.  

Khartoum and its neighbouring cities have been the most heavily affected, witnessing air raids, shelling and gunbattles on a nearly daily basis. Many ceasefire attempts have collapsed.

Residents of Khartoum reported a sharp escalation of clashes in several areas of the capital on Sunday after the expiry of a ceasefire deal between rival military factions brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Beyond the capital, deadly fighting has also broken out in the remote western region of Darfur, already scarred by a long-running conflict and huge humanitarian challenges.