Civilians dead and pregnant women hurt in Western Sudan

Doctors in Western Sudan reported that at least 11 civilians were killed by the Paramilitary Rapid support forces (RSF), on July 13th, according to the Middle East Monitor.

Western Sudan has seen an increase in attacks as the dispute between the Sudanese army and the RSF continues to inundate the country. The war began as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

An announcement made by Sudan Doctors Network said that 31 others were injured in the attack targeting the Shaq Al- Noum area, including nine women- some of whom were pregnant. This is after the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director- General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged for an end to attacks on health infrastructure in Sudan.

The network urged the international community, including the United Nations and African Union,  “to act immediately and seriously to stop these systematic violations, and to work towards bringing the perpetrators to justice.” This incident follows June 23rd, the date when top United Nations officials warned of the high likelihood of a genocide occurring in Sudan.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) suggested that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that war crimes are being committed by the Rapid Support Forces in West Sudan.

The Sudan Doctors Network described this attack as “one of the worst brutal assaults that blatantly violates all humanitarian norms and international conventions.” Sudan has been described as home to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis by the UN.

No response has been made by the rebel group to the statement that was made.

According to the UN and local authorities, the Sudanese army and RSF have been at war since April 2023, which has resulted in the death of more than 20,000 victims and has displaced 14 million. The estimated death toll is predicted to be around 130,000, based on research from US universities.

Middle East Monitor, Maghrebi.org