Fierce Shelling in Sudan's Capital, Arrests in Blue Nile Region

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a fierce attack on army positions in western Khartoum and on the armoured corps base in El Mohandesin in Omdurman, Radio Dabanga reports. Simultaneously, the army conducted airstrikes on RSF targets in southern Khartoum. At least 11 civilians, including three children, lost their lives on August 20, 2023 due to the shelling in Khartoum and Omdurman.

In the Blue Nile region, a military intelligence raid led to the detention of 23 people attending an event at the Communist Party of Sudan's office in Ed Damazin on Saturday August 19. The incident sparked condemnation from legal and activist groups, who accuse security forces of abusing power and suppressing dissent, Radio Dabanga reports.

Kadugli and South Kordofan have witnessed intense clashes in the last two weeks, not only between the paramilitary RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, but also from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) El Hilu, culminating in a complicated milieu of mixed allegiances.

Rumours circulating on various social media networks about impending attacks by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz SPLM-N El Hilu in South Kordofan's capital of Kadugli on Thursday, prompted dozens to flee their homes. Vulnerable groups, including women, children, and the elderly, are reported to be among those who have evacuated.

This article originally appeared on allAfrica.

Image via Global Witness.