KHARTOUM — Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have launched widespread retaliatory operations across North Kordofan, including alleged looting of markets and detentions of civilians, as fighting intensifies following advances by the Sudanese army in the region.
Local sources and residents reported that RSF fighters carried out raids in several areas, targeting civilian communities and commercial centers amid escalating clashes between the two sides. The reports said markets were looted and civilians were detained during the operations.
The developments come as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continue military operations aimed at expanding their control in North Kordofan, a strategically important region linking central Sudan with western states, including Darfur.
North Kordofan has become a major front in Sudan’s ongoing conflict between the army and the RSF, with both sides seeking control of key towns, supply routes, and strategic areas.
The RSF and the Sudanese army have been fighting since April 2023, when a power struggle between the two military factions erupted into a nationwide war. The conflict has caused thousands of deaths, displaced millions of people, and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Human rights groups and international organizations have repeatedly warned of violations against civilians by both warring parties, including killings, forced displacement, arbitrary arrests, and attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The latest violence in North Kordofan has raised concerns over further deterioration of the humanitarian situation as fighting spreads and civilians face increasing risks in conflict-affected areas.
