Sudan Paramilitary Conflict: Recent Shelling in El-Obeid
On Sunday, a strategic city in southern Sudan was targeted in deadly shelling, resulting in the deaths of nine civilians and injuries to at least 21 others, according to medical sources. The attack occurred in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, where the army had recently lifted a long-standing siege. This violence has been attributed to the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been locked in conflict with the Sudanese army since April 2023.
According to sources from the main hospital in El-Obeid, the shelling injured a total of 23 individuals, all of whom were civilians. Two of the injured succumbed to their wounds, bringing the confirmed death toll to nine. Eyewitnesses reported relentless bombardments from the RSF on Sunday, describing one incident where a shell hit a public transport bus carrying passengers, marking the third day of escalated attacks originating from the north and east.
Last month, the Sudanese army successfully ended a nearly two-year-long siege by the RSF on El-Obeid. This city is strategically important as it serves as a vital link between the capital, Khartoum, and the western region of Darfur. While the RSF has nearly completed its takeover of Darfur, the army has managed to reclaim significant areas within Khartoum and parts of central Sudan.
The ongoing conflict features a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. This brutal confrontation has caused the deaths of tens of thousands and displaced over 12 million people, leading to what is now recognized as one of the world’s most severe crises of hunger and displacement.
