RSF and army accused of looting in Sudan’s Omdurman whilst dozens of civilians are killed

Omdurman and Khartoum witnessed heavy fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the weekend and yesterday, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths. Both the army and the RSF have been accused of looting many properties in old Omdurman.

Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that clashes continued between the Sudanese army and the RSF in old Omdurman yesterday.

The SAF accused the RSF of indiscriminately shelling the area of Karari El Balad and villages El Makawir El Jarafa and Wad El Bakheet in northern Omdurman, killing 13 civilians and wounding others.

Activists reported the deaths of more than ten people in the El Nau Hospital in El Sawra, Omdurman, since Sunday evening, with new cases arriving yesterday. The deaths were due to the continued battles between the army and the RSF.

Volunteer Mumin Wad Zeinab said on his Facebook account that some of the cases that arrived were amputees. He posted pictures of blood spilling on the floor of the hospital wards.

Residents of Omdurman said that many basic goods are available, such as bread, but people are unable to buy them because salaries have not been paid since the start of the war in April and most private work has stopped as well.

Plundered

Residents accused members of both the RSF and the army of plundering many houses in old Omdurman.

In a statement on social media yesterday, they said that the RSF has been working to expel all residents of old Omdurman and steal their property, in addition to killing, torturing, and humiliating them.

Several SAF soldiers based in old Omdurman plundered houses as well. The residents explained that soldiers on guard “do not lift a finger when the RSF soldiers pass by” under the pretext that “instructions to do otherwise have not been issued”.

The army command was informed of this situation but did not intervene, according to the residents.

Khartoum fighting

SAF spokesperson Brig Nabil Abdallah said in a press statement on Sunday that the RSF attacked the El Mesid area in southern Khartoum and fired indiscriminately at people in the area, killing three and wounding others. The area is free of regular forces, according to the army.

Brig Abdallah also said that the army clashed with the RSF in the El Lamab neighbourhood near the El Shajara area in western Khartoum. The army claims to have killed five RSF troops, wounded six others, and seized a number of weapons.

According to witnesses, the army carried out air on RSF targets in the El Mujahideen neighbourhood and in the vicinity of El Medina El Riyadiya (Sports City), both in south Khartoum.