At least 300 civilians, including 15 women and 21 children, were killed in a paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attack in Al-Nahud City, West Kordofan state, according to the Sudanese National Commission for Human Rights. The Rapid Support Forces committed crimes against the inhabitants of Al-Nahud, including deliberate targeting, execution, and murder, according to an official statement.
Since April 2023, the Sudanese paramilitary organization Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been extensively accused of committing grave human rights violations in the ongoing civil conflict in Sudan. Mass murders, ethnic cleansing, sexual assault, torture, arbitrary imprisonment, and assaults on people and civilian objectives are a few examples of the atrocities.
It also stated that the death toll is still tentative due to the RSF fighters’ continuous siege of the city and their inability to allow citizens to flee or seek aid. More than 100 people were killed in the same incident, according to the Sudanese Doctors’ Network.
The panel also claimed that the RSF plundered Al-Nahud Hospital, local markets, and medical supplies. It urged the world community to put pressure on all sides to guarantee that people may leave war areas safely.
Following battles with government forces, the RSF declared on Friday that it had fully occupied Al-Nahud and captured the headquarters of the Sudanese army’s 18th Infantry Division.
Since July 2024, when the RSF seized possession of its original capital, Al-Fula, the army-controlled city has served as West Kordofan’s temporary capital.
The RSF and the army have been fighting for control of Sudan since April 15, 2023, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history. According to the UN and local officials, there have been around 20,000 massacre victims and 15 million displaced people. However, US academics’ research places the death toll at almost 130,000.
The United States and United Kingdom governments have designated RSF commanders for widespread human rights violations, such as war crimes and ethnic cleansing. The UN and human rights groups have demanded investigations, deployment of civilian protection forces, and international pressure to bring RSF commanders to justice.
The Sudanese government has set up committees to inquire into RSF atrocities, and Sudan’s military leadership has pressed the international community to label RSF as a terrorist organization.
