The most significant single death toll since the conflict in Sudan started in April has occurred in an attack by the army on a marketplace in southern Khartoum, according to a local volunteer organization.
Reports show that air and artillery attacks in civilian areas have increased as the five-month anniversary of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) approaches. Neither side has declared victory or shown any clear evidence of seeking peace.
A witness who observed a string of airstrikes carried out by drones on Sunday morning told Reuters that they occurred in southern Khartoum, a region inhabited mainly by the RSF.
Many seemed to be hurt in photos released by a group of local volunteers known as the Southern Khartoum Emergency Room (SKER). Most locals are day laborers who have been laid off and cannot afford to leave the region because of its proximity to the nation’s capital.
Tensions erupted on 15 April amongst the army and the RSF as they attempted to integrate their soldiers into their recent shift to democracy. There have been many attempts at mediation from different nations, but none have successfully stopped the violence.
As reported by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, nearly 7,500 individuals have been slain over the five months of heavy warfare.
Witnesses have implicated RSF bombardment for the deaths of 17 civilians the day before in Omdurman, Sudan’s second-most populated city. However, in a statement released on Wednesday, the RSF blamed the Sudanese army for the assaults.
More than 104 people were killed, and hundreds more were injured this week, according to the RSF, who also claimed that the SAF had bombed residential areas and marketplaces in Omdurman, Khartoum, Bahri, and East Nile.
On Wednesday, the Sudanese government stated that General Al-Burhan was traveling to Turkey for a meeting with President Erdogan to discuss bilateral ties.
The United Nations believes that over four million have fled to neighboring countries since the war started in mid-April, and the Turkish leader has earlier volunteered to organize peace talks in the Sahel area.
