More than 50 dead following Sudan Army-RSF clashes in El Obeid

Fierce fighting between Sudanese army forces and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, have left at least 56 people dead, mostly civilians. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes.

Nazifa Awadallah, head of the El Obeid Doctors Committee, told Radio Dabanga that on Saturday, the first day of the clashes, the El Obeid Teaching Hospital admitted 20 wounded people. The mortuary of the hospital received 13 bodies.

Three deaths and 11 injuries were reported on the following day, and no new cases were recorded on Monday. “We still don’t have the figures for the many more people who died or were injured in other hospitals or health centres, or those who couldn’t make it to any medical facilities,” she explained.

The medic further pointed to a severe shortage of blood, medical supplies, and persistent power outages in the hospitals of the city.

The Sudanese Doctors Syndicate yesterday reported the closure of El Daman Hospital in El Obeid after it was stormed by army soldiers.

‘Humanitarian catastrophe’

El Obeid witnessed a cautious calm yesterday, activist Mohamed Ahmed said, “although new clashes are expected with this heavy deployment of army forces in the city”.

He told Radio Dabanga that both army and RSF forces instructed people living in the west of El Obeid, adjacent to the main RSF base, and in neighbourhoods surrounding El Obeid Airport, which also serves as an army’s base, to leave their houses.

The ongoing clashes left the airport’s facilities and aircraft completely destroyed.

Most of the thousands of people who left their homes, sought refuge in schools in other parts of the city.

Ahmed warned of a humanitarian catastrophe. “They are in urgent need of water and food, while most of the time, drinking water and electricity are cut off.”

Radio Dabanga reported yesterday that fighting between army soldiers and RSF troops in Nyala, El Fasher, El Geneina, and Zalingei in Darfur caused the death of dozens of people. Many others were displaced. Widespread looting has been reported as well.