Sudan Conflict Escalates: Over 127 Killed in Two Days of Bombardments
At least 127 people, predominantly civilians, have lost their lives in Sudan following two days of relentless barrel bombings and shelling, according to human rights activists. The tragic events unfolded on Monday and Tuesday, highlighting the escalating violence in the country’s 20-month-long conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Rising Bloodshed Amid a Stalemate
Efforts to broker a ceasefire have faltered, and international attention has shifted to crises elsewhere, leaving Sudan’s war to spiral into increasing brutality. The army has intensified airstrikes across RSF-controlled regions, while the RSF has retaliated with village raids and heavy artillery targeting densely populated civilian areas.
Devastation in North Darfur
The violence was particularly catastrophic in Kabkabiya, a town in North Darfur, where over eight barrel bombs struck a crowded market on Monday. The pro-democracy Al-Fashir Resistance Committee reported more than 100 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. Emergency Lawyers, a human rights group, shared haunting images of shrouded bodies in a mass grave.
“People are dying wholesale,” a voice is heard lamenting in a harrowing video verified by Reuters, which captured bloodied bodies, burning wreckage, and anguished cries. Armed men, appearing to be RSF soldiers, were also seen on motorcycles in the footage.
Conflicting Accounts
The army, which has frequently targeted North Darfur towns with airstrikes, denied involvement in the Kabkabiya attack but reiterated its right to strike RSF military positions. The RSF has not issued a statement regarding the incident.
An activist from Kabkabiya reported that while a small number of soldiers were present in the market, the overwhelming majority of those killed were civilians. He confirmed that 87 bodies had been identified, but some victims were too charred or mutilated to recognize.
Artillery Strikes in Omdurman
On Tuesday, the RSF launched heavy artillery attacks on an army-controlled sector of Omdurman, part of the Khartoum state. Residents and activists reported significant casualties, including at least 14 people killed when a bus was struck. The state government, aligned with the army, stated that 65 people had been killed, with many more injured transported to Al-Naw Hospital.
Unverified images circulating online showed bodies shrouded in the streets amid smoldering vehicle wreckage.
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A Humanitarian Catastrophe
The United Nations estimates that over 30 million people in Sudan require urgent aid, with 12 million displaced from their homes. Famine has been declared in Zamzam camp, also in North Darfur, where shelling on Tuesday claimed seven more lives, according to Adam Rojal, a spokesperson for the Coordinating Committee for Displaced People.
As the conflict intensifies, the international community faces growing pressure to address the worsening humanitarian crisis and the indiscriminate targeting of civilian areas. The devastating toll on innocent lives underscores the urgent need for renewed peace efforts in Sudan.
