8 civilians killed in RSF shelling of Sudan’s Omdurman

KHARTOUM/ISTANBUL

Eight civilians were killed and four others injured in artillery shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum, the Sudanese Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

A ministry statement said RSF shelling targeted two areas in the Al-Thawra neighborhood in Omdurman on Monday night.

“The rebel militia continues its intense and systematic shelling of Omdurman’s residential areas for the second consecutive day,” the ministry added.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the ministry statement.

Four people were killed and 30 others injured in RSF shelling of the city on Monday.

Over the past few weeks, the territorial control of the RSF has been shrinking rapidly in favor of the Sudanese army across several states, including Khartoum, Al-Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar, and Blue Nile.

In the Khartoum state, which consists of three cities, the army now controls all of Bahri City in the north, most parts of Omdurman City in the west, and 75% of central Khartoum City, which houses the Presidential Palace and the country’s main airport. The RSF, however, still maintains control over the eastern and southern parts of the city.

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

International and UN calls for an end to the war are mounting, warning of an impending humanitarian catastrophe as millions face famine and death due to food shortages. The conflict has spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.