Harare — A town in South Darfur has been taken over by the paramilitary group fighting the Sudanese army, sparking violence, looting, and yet another wave of displacement, Reuters reports.
According to a tracking system established by the International Organization for Migration, fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army in the area of Kas had forced up to 5,000 families to flee, some of them from displaced persons’ camps.
The battle that erupted in Khartoum between the army and the RSF has resulted in a surge of ethnically-motivated violence and displacement in Darfur, the RSF’s stronghold and territory already beleaguered by conflict.
The RSF reportedly attacked the Medical Corps complex and the military-owned Aliaa hospital in Omdurman, one of Khartoum’s twin cities, on Saturday July 15 and Sunday July 16, according to the army.
The Sudanese army and rival military group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been battling since mid-April following disagreements over a proposed transition to civilian rule. According to UN news, hundreds of people have been killed and nearly three million have been displaced, including to neighbouring countries.
Aliaa, which cares for both military and civilian patients, was housing former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir, who had been brought there from jail before the conflict began.
No new information on Bashir’s whereabouts was provided by the army.