The attack by the Rapid Support Forces on the Sabrein Market was the latest in a series of deadly attacks in the escalated civil war that has wrecked the northeastern African country
An attack on an open market in the Sudanese city of Omdurman by a paramilitary group killed 54 people and wounded at least 158, health authorities said Saturday.
The attack by the Rapid Support Forces on the Sabrein Market was the latest in a series of deadly attacks in the escalated civil war that has wrecked the northeastern African country. There was no immediate comment from the RSF, which has been battling the military since April 2023.
Khalid al-Aleisir, minister of culture and government spokesperson, condemned the attack, saying that the casualties included many women and children. He said the attack caused widespread destruction.
“This criminal act adds to the bloody record of this militia,” he said in a statement. “It constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”
Sudan’s Doctors Syndicate said one mortar shell hit meters (yards) away from al-Naw Hospital, which received most of the market casualties. It said most of the bodies were of women and children, adding that the hospital has a significant shortage of medical teams, especially surgeons and nurses.
Chris Lockyear, secretary general of the Doctors Without Borders aid group, was at the hospital when casualties started arriving.
“There are dozens and dozens of people with devastating injuries, the morgue is full of dead bodies. What I see in front of me is a scene of utter carnage, yet another tragic example of this relentless war on people,” he said.
A video posted on social media by correspondent Nezar Bogdawi from Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV showed multiple body bags numbered and lined up outside the hospital. The wounded being treated, some on the hospital floor, included a man with a chest wound, another with a leg injury, and a man with a head wound.
Sudan’s army said in a statement late Saturday that its forces were able to “expel the remnants” of the RSF from the areas of Rifa’a, Tambul, Al-Hilaliya and Al-Hasahisa in Gezeira.
Last week, about 70 people were killed in a RSF attack on the only functional hospital in the besieged city of El Fasher in the western region of Darfur. The conflict has killed more than 28,000 people, has forced millions to flee their homes and has left some families eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive as famine sweeps parts of the country.
It has been marked by gross atrocities including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according the United Nations and rights groups.
The International Criminal Court said it was investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The U.S. has accused the RSF and its proxies of committing genocide in the war.
In recent months the RSF has suffered multiple battlefield blows, giving the military the upper hand in the war. It has lost control of many areas in Khartoum, the capital’s sister city of Omdurman, and the eastern and central provinces.
The military also regained control of the city of Wad Medani, the capital of Gezira province, and the country’s largest oil refinery.
Meanwhile, South Sudan said that it has lifted a temporary ban on Facebook and TikTok, which was imposed last week over the dissemination of graphic content related to the violence against South Sudanese nationals in neighbouring Sudan.
The National Communication Authority (NCA), the industry regulator, said the aim of addressing graphic content and defamatory content has been successfully achieved.
“The rise of violence linked to social media content in South Sudan underscores the need for a balanced approach that addresses the root causes of online incitement while protecting the rights of the population,” NCA Director General Napoleon Adok Gai said in a letter to telecommunications operators and internet service providers in the country.
The temporary ban followed a week-long suspension of the platforms, which began on Jan. 22 after two days of riots that saw people killed, and shops looted and vandalised, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to police, a total of 17 Sudanese nationals lost their lives across South Sudan in the night riots. Several South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that shows the killings of South Sudanese nationals by the Sudanese Armed Forces on January 11 in Wad Madani, Al Jazirah State, Sudan.
Gai said the South Sudanese refugees in Wad Madani were subjected to violent attacks resulting in the deaths of women and children, subsequently captured in videos and shared on social media without regard.
The footage sparked deadly violent riots, particularly in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and in three states: Warrap, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, and Warrap. Gai said the ban was imposed to curb the circulation of content deemed to incite violence and instability.
The industry regulator, however, lauded internet service providers and mobile network operators for their cooperation during the blockade and urged stakeholders, including platform operators Meta and TikTok, to strengthen monitoring and report harmful content to prevent future incidents.
“The lifting of the blockage is part of our efforts to foster a safer digital environment and promote peace and stability in the country,” Gai said, adding that the regulator will be reaching out to all stakeholders in the future to avoid similar shutdowns.
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