At least 127 people, primarily civilians, were killed on Monday and Tuesday in Sudan due to barrel bomb attacks and shelling by opposing forces, according to rights activists.
The ongoing 20-month conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has intensified, with ceasefire negotiations faltering and global attention shifting elsewhere.
The army has ramped up airstrikes in regions under RSF control, while the RSF has conducted raids on villages and launched heavy artillery strikes. Both sides have targeted densely populated civilian areas, exacerbating the human toll.
In North Darfur’s Kabkabiya, more than eight barrel bombs struck the market on Monday, killing over 100 people and injuring hundreds more, according to the pro-democracy Al-Fashir Resistance Committee and Emergency Lawyers, a human rights organisation. The army has frequently bombed towns in North Darfur in its battle for control of the state capital, al-Fashir, its final stronghold in the region.
The army denied involvement in the Kabkabiya attack, asserting its right to strike any RSF-utilized military locations. The RSF has not responded to the allegations. Images shared by Emergency Lawyers showed shrouded bodies in a mass grave, while verified video footage revealed bloodied bodies, burning wreckage, and frantic rescue efforts amid screams and prayers.
An activist from Kabkabiya stated that the market was primarily filled with civilians, though a small number of soldiers were present. He reported that 87 bodies had been identified, while others were too charred or mutilated for recognition.
On Tuesday, RSF artillery targeted an army-controlled area in Omdurman, part of Khartoum state, killing at least 20 people, including 14 passengers on a bus, according to Emergency Lawyers. The army-controlled state government reported 65 fatalities, with many casualties transported to Al-Naw Hospital.
In North Darfur’s Zamzam camp, where famine has been declared, shelling on Tuesday killed seven people, according to Adam Rojal, spokesperson for the Coordinating Committee for Displaced People.
The United Nations reports that over 30 million people in Sudan require humanitarian assistance, with 12 million displaced from their homes, underscoring the dire and worsening crisis.
