A brutal three-day assault by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left hundreds dead in villages south of Khartoum, marking another tragic episode in the country’s ongoing civil conflict. While the Emergency Lawyers network reports over 200 casualties, the army-backed government claims a death toll exceeding 430, including children.
The attacks targeted the villages of al-Kadaris and al-Khelwat in White Nile state, approximately 100 kilometers south of the capital. Witnesses describe harrowing scenes as civilians attempted to flee across the White Nile River, with many feared drowned during their escape. The United Nations has received reports of widespread sexual violence, with dozens of women allegedly raped and hundreds of families forced to displacement.
Control over White Nile State remains divided between the warring factions, with the army holding the southern region, including the state capital Rabak, while the RSF dominates the northern areas where the attacks occurred. The situation has complicated efforts to accurately assess casualties, with medical sources reporting bodies remaining unreachable in streets and homes.
The violence represents a broader pattern of escalating conflict across Sudan, as the army attempts to regain control of the capital. UNICEF describes children in Khartoum living in a “nightmare” of indiscriminate violence, while the UN human rights office condemns the “entrenched impunity” fueling widespread violations. The conflict has created what the International Rescue Committee terms the “biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded,” displacing over 12 million people.
