Sudan medical group says RSF-affiliated fighters kill 27 civilians

Fighters affiliated with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed at least 27 people, including elderly residents, in an attack on villages west of Bara in Sudan’s North Kordofan state, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. The Cairo-based medical NGO stated the attacks took place on Thursday in the al-Murrah area.

The group described the events as "a new crime targeting unarmed civilians in areas with no military presence." The attacks occurred during the second day of Eid al-Adha. In a statement on Facebook, the Sudan Doctors Network declared that "targeting villages and civilian areas and executing citizens in such a brutal manner constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law."

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a new crime targeting unarmed civilians in areas with no military presence

Sudan has been embroiled in civil war since April 2023, with the conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF escalating. The Kordofan region has become a significant battleground. The RSF and allied groups control large parts of western Darfur and areas in Kordofan bordering South Sudan.

The attacks exacerbate Sudan's severe humanitarian crisis, with over 40 percent of the population facing acute hunger. Nearly 19.5 million people are severely food insecure. The Sudan Doctors Network urged the international community to condemn the violations and act urgently to protect civilians by pressuring RSF leaders.

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targeting villages and civilian areas and executing citizens in such a brutal manner constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and all norms and conventions that prohibit attacks on civilians, especially amid the catastrophic humanitarian conditions people are enduring because of the ongoing war