124 Dead in Sudanese Village Attack by Paramilitary Forces, Doctors and Activists Report
At least 124 people have been killed in an attack by the Sudanese paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on a village south of Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, according to activists and doctors. The incident, which took place on Friday in Al-Sareeha village in the Al-Jazirah region, is being described as one of the deadliest episodes in a civil war that shows no signs of abating.
The RSF has been locked in a violent power struggle with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April of last year, with both factions accused of targeting civilians. Reports indicate that RSF attacks have intensified in Al-Jazirah since the recent defection of an RSF commander in the region.
A representative from the Resistance Committees, a local network organized by Sudanese civilians, told CNN that the RSF’s assault on Al-Sareeha left over 200 others injured, with around 150 civilians detained. Due to limited communication in the area, the activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, warned that the actual toll could be even higher.
The activist added that the RSF has confiscated Starlink devices, the only communication link available to residents, creating further challenges in documenting the situation. More than 30 villages in eastern Al-Jazirah have reportedly been abandoned as people flee escalating violence.
The Sudan Doctors Network corroborated the reports, describing the incident as a “massacre against civilians” that left 124 dead and many more injured or displaced.
The situation remains difficult to verify independently, as media access to the area is restricted. CNN reached out to the RSF for a statement but has not yet received a response.
The ongoing violence between the SAF and RSF has resulted in what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands of lives lost and millions displaced. CNN previously reported on alleged RSF-led atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region, where paramilitary forces and allied militias have been accused of perpetrating severe human rights abuses, including enslavement and other war crimes.