Sudan’s RSF turned West Kordofan hospital into military base, says medical network

KHARTOUM, Sudan / ISTANBUL

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) converted Al-Nuhud Hospital in West Kordofan into a military base after seizing the city more than five months ago, a Sudanese medical group said Friday.

The Sudan Doctors Network said in a statement that the RSF turned a major section of the facility into a command center and troop quarters, preventing the hospital from providing basic care to residents.

The group warned that using a medical facility for military purposes violates international norms and threatens civilians’ right to healthcare.

It said several medical workers in Al-Nuhud faced harassment and accusations of supporting the Sudanese army, prompting most of them to flee. As a result, the hospital is experiencing a severe shortage of staff.

According to the network, the remaining medical services are extremely limited, and dedicating the entire emergency department to RSF affiliates has effectively transformed the hospital into a military compound, leaving civilians without nearly all essential services.

The organization expressed concern for thousands of residents who remain in the city and now face extreme difficulty accessing healthcare. It called for the RSF to withdraw immediately from Al-Nuhud Hospital, restore its civilian function, protect medical personnel and reinstate basic medical services without discrimination.

The RSF has not commented on the group’s accusations.

The RSF seized Al-Nuhud in May following heavy clashes with the Sudanese army. Fighting between the two sides has intensified across the three Kordofan states in recent weeks, displacing tens of thousands of civilians.

The RSF now controls all five Darfur states, while the army holds most of Sudan’s remaining 13 states, including Khartoum.

Darfur makes up about one-fifth of Sudan’s territory, but most of the country’s 50 million people live in army-held areas.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization.