Paramilitaries from Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have advanced on the southeastern city of Sennar, forcing families to flee amidst heavy fighting. Residents report artillery and gunfire, with many seeking refuge in nearby villages. The conflict, ongoing for over 14 months, began after the army and RSF clashed over a planned integration of their forces. The RSF has gained control over significant regions, including the vast western Darfur region, the state of Gezira, large swaths of the Kordofan regions to the country’s south, and the majority of Khartoum, the country’s capital. Both sides of the war, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, have been accused of war crimes, including using starvation as a war weapon as well as sexual violence.
SOURCE: REUTERS
