The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are facing renewed accusations of targeting civilian areas after an alleged attack on a market in South Kordofan. Simultaneously, concerns are mounting that the city of Al-Ubayyid, capital of North Kordofan, is on the verge of being besieged.
According to the Sudanese Doctors’ Network, the death toll from the alleged RSF shelling of a market in the town of Al-Dilling, South Kordofan, has risen to seven. The network reported that among the dead are three children and two women, with 32 others injured, the majority of whom are also children and women.
The medical network strongly condemned what it described as a “massacre,” calling it a “serious violation of international humanitarian law and a systematic crime against unarmed civilians.” They emphasized that “targeting residential neighborhoods, markets, and civilian gatherings represents a dangerous escalation that exacerbates the suffering of citizens and undermines any efforts to protect civilians.”
The network held RSF leaders fully responsible for the alleged attacks and the resulting loss of life and injuries among civilians due to the targeting of civilian facilities. Reports earlier indicated that five people were killed and 25 others injured in an airstrike allegedly carried out by RSF drones targeting a market in Al-Dilling.
The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan has also expressed concern regarding reports of a drone strike on a crowded market in Al-Dilling. The towns of Kadugli and Al-Dilling in South Kordofan have reportedly been under siege by the RSF for months, facing repeated artillery and drone attacks.
Al-Ubayyid Faces Renewed Siege Threat
Meanwhile, the city of Al-Ubayyid, the capital of North Kordofan in central Sudan, is facing the threat of renewed encirclement by the RSF. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab has reportedly stated that Al-Ubayyid “faces the risk of a siege,” noting the observation of “new barriers or earthen walls along key exit routes from the city.”
Meiji Park, Acting Country Director in Sudan for Mercy Corps, stated that “the most vulnerable populations, those unable to travel on foot, are trapped in Al-Ubayyid.” The situation remains tense, with fears of further escalation and increased humanitarian suffering.
