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Sudanese activists speak of '40 dead' in bombing near Khartoum

Pro-democracy activists in Sudan reported Friday that around 40 people were killed in “heavy artillery fire” carried out the day before by paramilitary forces on Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city.

Sudan has been ravaged by war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the army, led by military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Burhan's former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The Karari Resistance Committee, one of hundreds of pro-democracy groups coordinating aid across Sudan, said the RSF was behind Thursday's deadly attack on Omdurman.

“So far, the death toll is estimated at 40 civilians killed and more than 50 injured, some seriously,” the organization said in a statement posted on social media.

“There is still no accurate count of the number of victims,” the statement said, adding that their bodies were received by Al Nao University Hospital and other private health facilities or were buried by their families.

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The bombing comes a day after the RSF was accused of killing more than 104 people, including 35 children, in an attack on the village of Wad al-Noura in Al-Jazeera state on Wednesday. south of Khartoum.

In just over a year, the war has claimed thousands of lives, with some estimates putting the death toll at 150,000, according to U.S. envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello.

Since the start of the war, more than seven million people have fled their homes to seek refuge in other parts of Sudan, adding to the 2.8 million already displaced by previous conflicts in the country of 48 million. 'residents.

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Fighting continues daily across the country, including in the capital, with both sides accused of war crimes, including deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate bombing of residential areas and blocking humanitarian aid.

At least 35 children were killed in the Wad al-Noura attack, with activists from the Madani Resistance Committee sharing images on social media of a row of white shrouds lying on the ground.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack, while UN Resident Coordinator for Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami said she was “shocked by reports of attacks violent incidents and a high number of victims” in the village and called for an investigation.

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“Human tragedy has become a feature of life in Sudan. We cannot allow impunity to become another feature,” she added.

The RSF is accused of looting as well as sexual and ethnic violence and has repeatedly attacked entire villages across Sudan.

In a statement, the paramilitaries said they attacked three military camps in the Wad al-Noura region and clashed with them “outside” the populated area.

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On Thursday, army chief Burhan visited the injured. In a press release, he promised to “respond harshly” to RSF’s “crimes”.

The head of the UN children's agency, Catherine Russell, said she was “horrified by reports that at least 35 children were killed and more than 20 children injured” in the attack.

“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable and must stop immediately,” the UNICEF chief said.

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Russell called on those fighting to respect international law and end the war.

On Thursday, the International Organization for Migration said the number of internally displaced people could “exceed 10 million” in the coming days.

Famine also poses a growing threat in Sudan, where around 18 million people are hungry and 3.8 million children are acutely malnourished, according to UN agencies.

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