Thousands flee North Darfur following attack blamed on RSF

Thousands of Sudanese families have fled the North Darfur village of Saluma following an attack that is believed to have been carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the UN said yesterday.

According to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM), around 8,000 families were displaced from Saluma and its surroundings to southern El Fasher, the state capital, on Friday and Saturday.

Adam Regal, spokesperson for the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in Darfur, stated that a group from the RSF attacked Saluma village and were confronted by joint forces of the armed struggle movements.

The RSF controls large parts of Darfur, including Nyala, located 195 kilometres away from El Fasher.

North Darfur remains the only state in the region still under army control. However, its capital, El Fasher, home to around two million people, has been under siege by RSF forces since May.

In recent weeks, the RSF has intensified its attacks on the city and surrounding areas, targeting displacement camps and clashing with groups allied with the army.

Adam Regal reported that “the village’s houses were set on fire.”

The conflict in Sudan has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands killed and more than 12 million people displaced. Millions are now on the brink of famine.

According to the UN, around 25 million people across Sudan face extreme food insecurity. In North Darfur alone, 1.7 million people have been displaced, while two million suffer from severe food shortages.

READ: UN food agency raises alarm over worsening food shortages in Sudan