Tragic Loss: Over 20 lives claimed in a brutal attack perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan
The conflict between the Sudanese military (Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to ravage Sudan, with no signs of abating as of August 2025. Key flashpoints include cities like El Fasher in Darfur and El-Obeid in North Kordofan, where intense fighting, sieges, and airstrikes are ongoing.
Casualties
The civil war has resulted in over 40,000 deaths since it started in April 2023. Recent attacks include the RSF killing at least 40 civilians in the Abu Shouk displacement camp near El Fasher on August 11, 2025, and verified RSF killings of at least 60 civilians in Bara locality, North Kordofan, since July 10, with some estimates reaching 300 deaths there. Additionally, SAF airstrikes in Kordofan have killed dozens of civilians, including at least 29 prisoners in a bombing of a prison in El Obeid and over 40 people in an attack on a hospital in West Kordofan.[1][2][3][5]
Displacement
The conflict has forcibly displaced approximately 12 million people internally, creating the world’s largest and fastest-growing internal displacement crisis. Additionally, more than four million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, causing regional instability.[2][4]
Humanitarian Impact
Cities like El Fasher remain under siege by the RSF, with daily shelling that cuts off vital commercial and humanitarian supplies, leaving civilians suffering from famine conditions in displacement camps like Abu Shouk. Civilians face grave risks trying to flee besieged areas, including arbitrary arrest and killing by armed groups.[1][2][3]
Political Context
The RSF and SAF, once allies, are now adversaries fighting for territorial and political control. The SAF holds parts of the east and center including Khartoum, while the RSF controls much of the west and south, particularly Darfur and South Kordofan. Both sides have attempted to form parallel governments to legitimize their authority.[3][4]
The RSF has been charged with war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, looting, and impeding relief. The UK-based Centre for Information Resilience reported that by March, at least 108 towns and settlements had been set on fire and "partially or completely destroyed" across the country.[6]
As of August 2025, Sudan remains in a severe humanitarian crisis with ongoing armed conflict, significant civilian casualties, and massive displacement. The complex and entrenched warfare between SAF and RSF shows no resolution yet, exacerbating suffering across the country.
References
- Al Jazeera. (2025, August 12). Sudan conflict: At least 40 killed in displacement camp attack. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/12/sudan-conflict-at-least-40-killed-in-displacement-camp-attack
- Human Rights Watch. (2025, July 29). Sudan: RSF Killings in North Kordofan. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/07/29/sudan-rsf-killings-north-kordofan
- Reuters. (2025, August 13). Sudan's warring sides struggle to form parallel governments. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudans-warring-sides-struggle-form-parallel-governments-2025-08-13/
- UNHCR. (2025, July 15). Sudan: UNHCR warns of regional instability as more than four million flee conflict. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2025/7/62a6783c4/sudan-unhcr-warns-regional-instability-more-four-million-flee-conflict.html
- Amnesty International. (2025, July 23). Sudan: SAF airstrikes kill dozens of civilians in Kordofan. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/sudan-sa-airstrikes-kill-dozens-of-civilians-in-kordofan/
- Centre for Information Resilience. (2025, March 15). Sudan: Analysis of RSF attacks on civilian populations. Retrieved from https://www.cfor.org.uk/sudan-analysis-rsf-attacks-civilian-populations/
Read also:
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
- Massive 8.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan to issue a tsunami alert.
