Nearly 300 civilians have reportedly been killed in North Kordofan following a wave of deadly attacks allegedly carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudanese activist networks and local medical sources say the massacres took place over the weekend, primarily in villages near the regional capital, El-Obeid.
Human rights groups reported that the RSF launched coordinated assaults on several communities, with entire households wiped out. One civil society group stated that more than 200 people were killed across different villages, while another placed the toll closer to 300. Images and witness accounts from the region suggest severe destruction, burned homes, and the displacement of hundreds of families.
On July 14, RSF shelling targeted the villages of Shaq Al-Noum and surrounding areas, killing at least 18 people and injuring 31 more. Among the dead were three children and nine women, some of whom were pregnant. Sudanese health networks condemned the attack as a blatant violation of humanitarian and international laws.
As violence continues to spiral, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied factions have reportedly retaken the strategically significant area of Umm Sumayyah, west of El-Obeid. The recapture marks a rare victory for the SAF in a region where RSF had recently gained ground. Armed confrontations have intensified throughout the Kordofan region, with both sides vying for control over transport routes and supply lines.
Humanitarian conditions have worsened drastically in North Kordofan. Aid agencies report that at least 675 households have been newly displaced due to the attacks. Local healthcare facilities are overwhelmed, while food and medicine supplies are running low. International aid groups have warned of rising malnutrition and the threat of cholera as the region struggles to cope with the growing number of casualties.
The conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the SAF and RSF, has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over 11 million people. Observers fear the situation in North Kordofan may mirror the ethnic and sectarian violence previously seen in Darfur and Khartoum.
Calls are growing for international intervention to ensure civilian protection, enforce ceasefires, and enable humanitarian access. Without urgent action, communities across Sudan face worsening conditions in what is now considered one of the world’s most dire humanitarian crises.