Sudan: RSF and Army Accused of Looting in Omdurman Whilst Dozens of Civilians Are Killed

Omdurman / Khartoum — 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 Bakhit in northern Omdurman, killing 13 civilians and wounding others.

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

Volunteer Moamen Wad Zainab 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.

Looting

Omdurman residents accused the RSF and the army of looting and stealing from many houses in Old Omdurman.

In a statement, they said that the RSF has been working to displace all residents of Old Omdurman and loot their property, in addition to killing, torturing, and humiliating civilians.

Several armed SAF based in Old Omdurman looted and robbed many of 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 command of the armed forces was informed of this situation but did not intervene to resolve these behaviours, according to the local residents.

Khartoum fighting

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

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

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