Thousands displaced in southern Sudan amid renewed clashes between army, RSF

KHARTOUM, Sudan/ISTANBUL

Thousands of civilians have been displaced in Kadugli and El-Fasher in southern Sudan due to renewed clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday.

In a statement, the IOM said 3,070 people were displaced from Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan State, on Aug. 6-10 due to the ongoing conflict, deteriorating economic conditions, and shortages of basic goods.

The migration organization said 500 people were also displaced from Abu Shouk camp in El-Fasher locality in North Darfur due to heightened insecurity.

“The situation remains tense and highly fluid,” it added.

The Abu Shouk Camp Emergency Room and El-Fasher Resistance Coordination, grassroots committees, confirmed that the camp came under attack by RSF forces on Monday, with RSF militants infiltrating parts of its northern section.

The groups accused the RSF of killing 40 displaced people in the camp and injuring 19 others during these attacks.

For its part, the RSF claimed to have made field gains during Monday’s battles in El-Fasher, without giving further details.

Darfur regional governor Minni Arko Minnawi wrote on Facebook that the army and the joint forces of armed movements had repelled a major RSF assault on the city.

As of now, in Sudan’s 18 states, RSF forces retain control only over parts of North and West Kordofan, pockets in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, and four of the five states of the Darfur region.

The army and RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 victims and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.