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RSF Attack on Sudan Village Kills Dozens

Smoke rises in Sudanese city amid fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces. (AP)
Smoke rises in Sudanese city amid fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces. (AP)
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RSF Attack on Sudan Village Kills Dozens

Smoke rises in Sudanese city amid fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces. (AP)
Smoke rises in Sudanese city amid fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces. (AP)

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have killed dozens of people in an attack on a village south of the capital Khartoum, a local doctors' committee said Sunday.

RSF carried out a "massacre" in "the village of Um Adam" 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of the city Saturday, the Sudan Doctors Committee said in a statement.

Sudan's war between the military, under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, began last April 15.

Many thousands of people have been killed, including up to 15,000 in a single town in the war-ravaged Darfur region, according to United Nations experts.

The war has also displaced more than 8.5 million people, practically destroyed Sudan's already fragile infrastructure and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

Saturday's attack "resulted in the killing (of) at least 28 innocent villagers and more than 240 people wounded," the committee said.

It added that "there are a number of dead and wounded in the village that we were not able to count" due to the fighting and difficulty in reaching health facilities, according to AFP.

A local activists' committee had given a toll of 25 earlier in the day.

A medical source at the Manaqil hospital, 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) away, confirmed to AFP that they had "received 200 wounded, some of whom arrived too late."

"We're facing a shortage of blood, and we don't have enough medical personnel," he added.

More than 70 percent of Sudan's health facilities are out of service, according to the UN, while those remaining receive many times their capacity and have meager resources.

Both sides in the conflict have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and looting and obstructing aid.

Since taking over Al-Jazira state just south of Khartoum in December, the RSF has laid siege to and attacked entire villages such as Um Adam.

By March, at least 108 villages and settlements across the country had been set on fire and "partially or completely destroyed," the UK-based Center for Information Resilience has found.

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Al-Alimi to UN Envoy: Houthis Not a Reliable Peace Partner

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi welcomes UN Envoy Grundberg in Aden, Yemen (SABA)
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi welcomes UN Envoy Grundberg in Aden, Yemen (SABA)
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Al-Alimi to UN Envoy: Houthis Not a Reliable Peace Partner

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi welcomes UN Envoy Grundberg in Aden, Yemen (SABA)
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi welcomes UN Envoy Grundberg in Aden, Yemen (SABA)

UN envoy Hans Grundberg is working to address the Yemeni crisis, but Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), has questioned the Houthi militias’ trustworthiness for peace.

During Grundberg’s visit to Aden, the interim capital, Al-Alimi told him that the Houthis may not be a reliable partner. Grundberg had called for “constructive dialogue” to ease tensions.

Yemen’s state media reported that Al-Alimi received an update on Grundberg’s recent talks and his focus on reducing tensions and restarting the peace process, which has been disrupted by “Houthi terrorist groups supported by Iran.”

Grundberg thanked Yemen’s PLC and government for their work to reduce tensions and prevent a return to widespread conflict, according to SABA News Agency.

On his part, al-Alimi reaffirmed support for the UN’s efforts to restart a political process based on a Saudi roadmap.

He also supported UN efforts to address the worsening humanitarian situation caused by Houthi attacks on oil facilities and shipping lanes, which he said are backed by Iran.

Al-Alimi stressed the need for continued local, regional, and international attention on Houthi actions, including human rights abuses and measures against Yemenia Airways that worsen humanitarian conditions and damage the airline’s reputation.

The Houthi group, backed by Iran, is holding four Yemenia Airways planes in Sanaa and blocking the airline from accessing around $120 million in its bank accounts.

The PLC chief said a recent failed Houthi attack on the Safir oil facility in Marib shows the Houthis are not a reliable partner for peace. He accused them of prioritizing their supporters’ interests over Yemen’s needs.

Al-Alimi stressed the need for international unity and listening to Yemenis’ calls for stability and peace, in line with UN resolutions, especially UNSC Resolution 2216.

Grundberg, who has not reported progress on economic issues between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, urged for constructive dialogue to reduce tensions. His office stated that he and Al-Alimi discussed the urgent need for a broader dialogue to ease tensions across Yemen.

Grundberg has expressed concern over UN staff held by the Houthis and renewed the UN Secretary-General’s call for their immediate release.

The UN diplomat ended his visit to Muscat, where he met with Omani officials and Houthi negotiator Mohammad Abdelsalam. He stressed the urgent need for de-escalation in Yemen and urged the Houthis to prioritize the well-being of the Yemeni people.

Grundberg also called for the immediate release of the detained UN staff during his meetings. Before Muscat, he discussed de-escalation efforts with Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammad Al Jaber in Riyadh.

In Riyadh, Grundberg met with the ambassadors of the five permanent UN Security Council members, highlighting the need for a unified approach to support peace talks and a ceasefire in Yemen.