What's happened
Recent attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in South Kordofan have resulted in at least 79 civilian deaths, including 43 children, amid ongoing conflict since April 2023. The RSF targeted civilian facilities with drone missiles, prompting international condemnation and calls for designation as a terrorist organization. The conflict has caused widespread displacement and a humanitarian crisis.
What's behind the headline?
The recent escalation of violence, particularly the drone strikes targeting civilian facilities, underscores the RSF's blatant disregard for international humanitarian law. The coordination with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North indicates a strategic alliance aimed at destabilizing the region further. The international community's silence appears to embolden the RSF, which interprets it as tacit approval for its atrocities. The targeting of children and hospitals not only worsens the humanitarian crisis but also risks escalating the conflict into a broader regional instability. The ongoing support from external actors complicates prospects for peace, making a swift resolution unlikely. The situation will likely deteriorate further unless there is decisive international intervention and a shift in regional diplomacy to pressure all sides towards ceasefire and accountability.
What the papers say
The New Arab reports that the RSF's drone attacks in Kalogi and Kadugli have resulted in the deaths of dozens, including children, with the latest toll reaching 79. The attacks targeted civilian infrastructure such as kindergartens and hospitals, with the Sudanese foreign ministry condemning the violence and calling for the designation of the RSF as a terrorist organization. The UN and UNICEF have highlighted the grave violations of children's rights, warning of a humanitarian disaster with displaced populations and collapsing medical services. Contrasting perspectives from the Sudanese military deny targeting civilians, but independent reports and eyewitness accounts strongly suggest deliberate attacks on civilian areas. The conflict's external support, involving regional powers, further complicates efforts to reach peace, with ongoing accusations of war crimes and strategic alliances fueling the violence.
How we got here
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, with external powers supporting different factions. The conflict has led to mass civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a humanitarian disaster, especially in regions like Darfur and South Kordofan. Recent months have seen intensified violence, including drone strikes targeting civilian areas and schools, with reports of war crimes and mass graves.
Go deeper
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Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in North-East Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southe
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The Rapid Support Forces are Sudanese paramilitary forces operated by the Sudanese Government. The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias which fought on behalf of the Sudanese government during the War in Darfur, killing an
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The Sudanese Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. During the 39-month transition to democracy that started in September 2019, the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration defines the Supreme Commander of the Sudanese Arme
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South Kordofan is one of the 18 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 158,355 km² and an estimated population of approximately 1,100,000 people. Kaduqli is the capital of the state. It is centered on the Nuba Hills.