Sudanese Paramilitaries Attack Darfur City, Forcing Hundreds to Flee
Residents of Darfur in Sudan have reported that paramilitaries launched attacks on Sunday, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee the major city of Nyala. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by rival generals competing for power, have been engaged in intensifying battles with the regular Sudanese army in the troubled western region. Witnesses recounted how RSF paramilitaries attacked Nyala using numerous military vehicles, with rockets falling on houses and residents fleeing from intense artillery fire.
The conflict, which began on April 15, pits army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan against his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The result has been a devastating toll on both Darfur and the capital city of Khartoum. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, approximately 3,900 people have been killed nationwide. The United Nations refugee agency has reported that over four million people have been displaced from their homes.
Darfur has a long history of violence, with Sudan’s former leader Omar Al-Bashir unleashing Arab tribal militia in 2003 to suppress a non-Arab rebellion. The RSF, which emerged from the notorious Janjaweed militia responsible for Bashir’s deadly campaign, holds significant influence in the region. Fighting in the current conflict has centered around El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, where the United Nations suspects crimes against humanity have occurred.
There are allegations of massacres and ethnically motivated killings in Darfur, attributed to paramilitary forces and their Arab militia allies. Researchers from Yale University have determined that at least 27 villages in Darfur have been destroyed by the RSF and its allies since April. Nathaniel Raymond, from the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, stated that the violence is comparable to the genocide witnessed in 2003-2004. He emphasized that the RSF and Arab militias are targeting civilian communities systematically and without hindrance, choosing the timing and location of their attacks.
The conflict has not been confined to Darfur alone, as fighting was also reported in Omdurman, a battle-scarred sister city of Khartoum situated across the Nile River. The situation in Sudan remains deeply concerning, with widespread displacement, loss of life, and reports of human rights abuses. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely and calls for an end to the violence.
