Sudan paramilitary attacks kill almost 300 in stronghold - activists

Sudanese activists said on Monday that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed almost 300 people in attacks in North Kordofan state that began on Saturday.

The RSF has been fighting the Sudanese army in that area, one of the key frontlines of a civil war that has raged since April 2023.

The army has taken firm control of the center and east of the country, while the RSF is working to consolidate its control of western regions, including North Kordofan.

The Emergency Lawyers human rights group said in a statement on Monday that the RSF had attacked several villages on Saturday around the city of Bara, which the paramilitary controls.

Looting raids

In one village, Shag Alnom, more than 200 people were killed via arson or gunshot. Looting raids of the other villages killed 38 civilians, they said, while dozens of others had gone missing.

The next day, the group said, the RSF attacked the village of Hilat Hamid killing 46 people, including pregnant women and children.

More than 3,400 people were forced to flee, according to the United Nations.

"It has been proven that these targeted villages were completely empty of any military objectives, which makes clear the criminal nature of these crimes carried out in complete disregard of international humanitarian law," Emergency Lawyers said, placing the responsibility on RSF.

Humanitarian crisis

The United States and human rights groups have accused the RSF of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

Sudan's civil war has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis, driving more than half the population into hunger and spreading diseases including cholera across the country.

A global reduction in aid spending has stretched the humanitarian response.