Heavy fighting has erupted again in the city of Babnusa, West Kordofan State, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched an offensive earlier today. Military sources confirmed the clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese Army are ongoing, with both sides trading accusations of initiating the attacks.
The Sudanese Army reports that the RSF intermittently shelled the headquarters of the 22nd Division in Babnusa early this morning. In a contrasting statement, the RSF claims to have seized full control of three key axes within Babnusa and asserts they have effectively besieged the 22nd Division headquarters.
Adding to the escalating conflict, the RSF also announced that they shot down an army drone over Babnusa earlier today. These claims are yet to be independently verified.
The Sudan Doctors’ Committee has raised serious concerns about the safety of civilians in the area. They allege that the RSF is detaining seven civilian families, including women and children, in Babnusa. The committee reports that those detained are accused of having family members affiliated with the Sudanese Army. The Doctors’ Committee condemned these detentions as arbitrary and a form of collective punishment against civilians.
The humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating. Ahmed Idris, the Humanitarian Aid Commissioner in White Nile State, urgently appealed to international humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to the displaced populations. He stated that approximately 20,000 newly displaced individuals have arrived in the state, adding to the existing three million already displaced since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan. These individuals are fleeing violence in areas such as the Kordofan region and El Fasher.
Waves of displacement continue from Kordofan and El Fasher, with an estimated 57,000 people seeking refuge in the Northern State. Save the Children reports that hundreds of families are fleeing El Fasher and arriving in the Tawila area. The organization is providing limited food assistance, enough for approximately three days, to over 350 families who have arrived in recent days. The organization stresses the urgent need for continued aid.
