A committee of Sudanese pro-democracy activists reported on Thursday that “more than 104” people died in a single day when paramilitary forces attacked a village, prompting the UN to warn of widespread displacement and starvation.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), engaged in conflict with the regular army since April 2023, launched an assault on the central village of Wad al-Noura in al-Jazira state on Wednesday “in two waves” with heavy artillery, as per the Madani Resistance Committee.
The committee, one of many grassroots groups across Sudan, stated that the attack resulted in “more than 104 martyrs” and “hundreds” of injuries, based on initial communication with village residents.
UN’s resident coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed shock at the reports of violence and called for accountability.
The RSF claimed it attacked three army camps in the Wad al-Noura area and engaged in clashes with its adversary “outside the city.” The resistance committee dismissed the RSF’s statement as an attempt to justify targeting civilians.
Both the army and the RSF have faced accusations of war crimes, including targeting civilians and obstructing humanitarian aid.
The Emergency Lawyers, a pro-democracy group documenting war atrocities, labeled the attack on Wad al-Noura a “war crime” and urged the international community to pressure both sides to adhere to international law.
The UN migration agency warned that Sudan’s internal displacement figures could exceed 10 million within days, exacerbating the country’s dire humanitarian situation.
Since the onset of the war, over seven million people have been displaced within Sudan, adding to the 2.8 million already displaced by previous conflicts.
The situation has led to acute hunger affecting 18 million Sudanese, with 3.6 million children suffering from acute malnutrition.
If the humanitarian crisis persists, an estimated 2.5 million people could die of hunger by September’s end, according to recent estimates. Both sides have been accused of obstructing humanitarian access by the UN.
