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Paramilitary forces in Sudan have been accused of killing 18 civilians in an assault on two villages west of Khartoum earlier this week, according to a monitoring group on Saturday.
The attack took place on Thursday in North Kordofan state, a key point along the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) fuel smuggling route from Libya. The region has been a fierce battleground between the army and the RSF for months, with most communication links to the outside world severed.
The Emergency Lawyers human rights group, which has tracked violations since the war began two years ago, said the assault on the villages in North Kordofan “killed 18 civilians and wounded dozens.” Those injured were taken to the state capital, El-Obeid, for treatment.
Confirming exact tolls in Sudan remains difficult, with many hospitals no longer operational and media access severely restricted.
Since losing control of Khartoum to the army in March, the RSF has shifted its focus to western Sudan, where it holds much of the Darfur region. Both factions have faced allegations of war crimes in a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and, according to the United Nations, created the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
