Three women lost their lives following the resurgence of hostilities between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Nyala city, South Darfur on Saturday. This was the third incident in the recent days indicating growing tensions between the two factions.
As reported by “Al-Hurra” correspondent, “Three women died, and six other individuals were injured due to the landing of four shells in the Driaj neighborhood of Nyala, sparked by renewed clashes between the warring parties.”
This surge in violence coincides with escalations in Khartoum, where several eastern districts experienced artillery shelling carried out by the army against the Rapid Support Forces’ strongholds, particularly in areas like Buri, Al-Shatih, and Al-Safa.
In the interim administrative capital, Port Sudan, the War Crimes Committee formed by the Sovereign Council and led by army commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has officially initiated its duties. Its primary focus is to monitor the alleged “war crimes and violations” committed by the Rapid Support Forces since the onset of the conflict in mid-April.
Part of the committee’s responsibilities includes “taking all legal measures against the Rapid Support Forces’ leaders and members, both domestically and internationally, and anyone found to be involved either through participation, instigation, or assistance.”
The UN’s special representative for Sudan and head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, expressed concerns about reports suggesting that civilians are being prevented from moving to safer regions, leading to high casualty numbers.
UNITAMS strongly urged all military factions to “immediately cease their operations and resume talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia”, reaffirming its commitment to “supporting and facilitating efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution to the conflict across Sudan.”
It’s worth noting that the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have consistently denied targeting civilians or any related accusations.
