Sudan Rapid Support Forces Attack Refugee Bus, Killing 24
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Sudan‘s Doctors’ Network has reported that an attack by the Rapid Support Forces on a bus in North Kordofan has claimed the lives of 24 people. The bus was reportedly carrying refugees who were attempting to flee the conflict.
The medical network’s statement indicated that several women and children were among the fatalities. This event occurred amidst reports from United Nations-affiliated sources detailing casualties from an attack on a food humanitarian convoy also in North Kordofan. The attack on the aid convoy took place while it was in transit, leading to the destruction of food supplies and the ignition of trucks.
On Friday, Sudan’s Doctors’ Network had also reported one fatality and three injuries resulting from a drone strike on a World Food Programme aid convoy in North Kordofan, central Sudan. In that earlier incident, aid trucks in the areas of ‘Al-Latif,’ ‘Al-Samih,’ and ‘Al-Rahad,’ as well as trucks within the city of ‘Umm Ruwaba,’ were targeted.
The Doctors’ Network emphasized that these trucks were transporting aid to refugees in the city of Al-Obeid and condemned the action as a clear violation of international humanitarian law and a hindrance to life-saving relief efforts. The medical body called for an independent and transparent investigation and immediate measures to protect aid workers and ensure perpetrators are held accountable. The Rapid Support Forces have not yet issued a statement regarding the recent attack.
The armed conflict in Sudan has been ongoing since April 15, 2023, between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. The conflict centers on power struggles and the integration of forces. International mediation efforts have so far failed to resolve the crisis.
