Sudan: Army Strikes in Omdurman, 32 Killed

By Staff, Agencies

An airstrike by the Sudanese army in the Ombada neighborhood in western Omdurman left at least 32 civilians killed and dozens injured, as violence continues unabated across the African country.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Emergency Lawyers condemned Tuesday’s attack as a “war crime”, calling for the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces [RSF] to be brought to justice.

“The use of heavy and light artillery in areas packed with civilians is a war crime … and reflects a disregard for their lives,” the legal group said.

Sudan’s army and the RSF have been fighting since April 15 over a power struggle between army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who heads the paramilitary force.

According to Sudanese activists, an airstrike in the south of the capital Khartoum killed at least 20 civilians including two children.

The latest strike was part of the ongoing war between the two warring sides.

Following the attack, the United States imposed sanctions on RSF’s senior commanders for committing “extensive” rights violations during the months-long conflict.

The US Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday that the measures will freeze and block any assets held by Abdelrahim Dagalo in the United States.

Separately on Wednesday, the United Nations’ migration agency said more than 5 million people have been displaced by the fighting in Sudan.

The UN refugee agency says over 1.8 million people are expected to flee Sudan to five neighboring countries by the end of 2023.

According to the International Organization for Migration [IOM], over 4 million people have been internally displaced since the conflict erupted in mid-April while another 1.1 million have fled to neighboring countries. More than 750,000 have traveled to either Egypt or Chad, the agency said.

The agency further said about 24.7 million Sudanese, roughly half the country’s population, needed humanitarian aid and protection.

So far, most mediation efforts have largely failed and a few instances of the temporary humanitarian ceasefires were violated by the warring factions.