The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed at least 11 people in a drone strike on a displacement camp in Sudan’s River Nile state. The attack also destroyed the regional power station for the fourth time, according to the state governor.
The RSF denies carrying out drone attacks and did not respond to requests for comment. For months, the group has targeted power stations in army-controlled areas of central and northern Sudan. However, earlier strikes did not cause significant casualties.
“This morning, we heard a large explosion. We found two families completely burnt inside their tents while they were sleeping,” said Mashair Hemeidan, a teacher, as she cried.
“We fled Khartoum to escape the war, but now the war has followed us here. I don’t know where to go with my family and children. We have no shelter or safe place left,” she added.
These strikes have severely damaged Sudan’s electrical grid, leaving millions without power for weeks. This comes two years into a devastating war, as the army works to remove the paramilitary force from central Sudan. Ground fighting is now concentrated in the Darfur region, where the RSF is trying to seize the army’s last stronghold. Hundreds of thousands have fled their homes as a result. Clashes have also erupted in western Omdurman, part of the capital where the RSF remains active.
Friday’s missile attack set tents on fire and injured 23 others, according to a medical official. Reuters witnesses reported seeing at least nine children among the injured.
“My nine-year-old son Ahmed was killed today. My other children, Fadi and Omnia, are now in the hospital,” said Fadwa Adlan, a resident of the camp.
Around 179 families displaced by the fighting in Khartoum were living in poor conditions near the town of al-Damer. They resided in an abandoned building and surrounding tents, receiving minimal humanitarian aid. The camp was located about three kilometers (1.9 miles) from the Atbara power station, which the attack also hit.
On Friday, authorities hosed down the residents’ belongings destroyed in the fire and began dismantling the camp. Residents boarded buses, though their destination remains unknown.
The attack highlights the growing dangers faced by displaced civilians in Sudan. With no end to the conflict in sight, many fear further violence and instability.
