40 people died in an attack by paramilitary forces in Sudan

Pro-democracy activists in Sudan reported that around 40 people were killed in “heavy artillery fire” by paramilitary forces on Khartoum’s twin city Omdurman on Friday.

In April 2023, clashes broke out between army commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. The Decisional Resistance Committee said the RSF was responsible for Thursday’s attack on Omdurman. “The death toll is 40 civilians and more than 50 injured,” the committee said. The bodies of the victims were taken to Al Nao university hospital and private healthcare facilities.

This attack comes on the heels of RSF’s attack on the village of Wad Al-Noura in Al-Jazira province on Wednesday, killing more than 104 people, including 35 children.

The war has claimed thousands of lives in less than a year, and according to Tom Perriello, the US special representative for Sudan, the death toll could be as high as 150,000. More than seven million people were displaced due to the war.

Conflicts continue in the country, and both sides are accused of committing war crimes, targeting civilians and obstructing humanitarian aid.

At least 35 children died in the attack on Wad Al-Noura. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN’s resident coordinator in Sudan, called for an investigation.

The RSF is accused of looting, sexual and ethnic violence, and has launched attacks on many villages across Sudan. Army commander Burhan stated that he would respond harshly to the RSF’s “crimes”.

UNICEF Chief Catherine Russell said she was appalled by reports that “35 children were killed and more than 20 injured” and called on conflicting parties to comply with international law.

The International Organization for Migration stated that the number of internal migrants could soon “exceed 10 million”. According to the UN, approximately 18 million people suffer from hunger and 3.8 million children are severely malnourished.