Renewed RSF shelling killed several in Sudan’s el-Fasher, army says

The latest attacks travel arsenic the African Union rejects immoderate ‘interference’ successful the civilian war, which has killed much than 20,000 people.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) person said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed 7 radical successful artillery shelling connected el-Fasher, the superior of North Darfur authorities successful occidental Sudan.

A connection from the military-aligned authorities said connected Monday that the RSF shelling that began precocious connected Sunday targeted residential neighbourhoods, sidesplitting 7 people, including women and children, and wounding astatine slightest 15, who were taken to hospitals.

On Sunday, the service besides said the RSF shelling successful the metropolis killed 9 people.

El-Fasher has witnessed aggravated warring betwixt SAF and RSF since May 2024, contempt planetary warnings astir the risks of unit successful a metropolis that serves arsenic a cardinal humanitarian hub for the 5 Darfur states.

For much than a year, the RSF has sought to wrest power of it, located much than 800km (500 miles) southwest of the capital, Khartoum, from the Sudanese army, launching regular attacks connected the metropolis and 2 large famine-hit camps for displaced radical connected its outskirts.

The RSF and the SAF person been locked successful a brutal powerfulness conflict since April 2023, resulting successful thousands of deaths and pushing Sudan into 1 of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations.

More than 20,000 radical person been killed and 15 cardinal displaced successful the brutal civilian warfare present successful its 3rd year, according to UN and section figures. However, immoderate United States-based researchers estimation the existent decease toll to beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic 130,000.

Won’t judge ‘any interference’

Meanwhile, the African Union (AU) said connected Monday it would not judge “any interference” successful Sudan aft the RSF was accused of receiving weapons from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Last week, the Sudanese authorities severed diplomatic relations with the UAE, accusing it of supplying weapons to the RSF.

Amnesty International has besides accused the UAE of supplying weapons to the RSF, successful usurpation of a UN arms embargo.

The UAE has rejected the claims arsenic “baseless”.

“The Commission’s presumption is that subordinate states are sovereign states, and the AU Commission volition not judge immoderate interference successful the interior affairs of Sudan,” said AU Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

“We volition not enactment immoderate intervention, immoderate interference successful the situation successful Sudan,” helium said.

However, Youssouf declined to remark connected the UAE’s imaginable relation successful the conflict. “It is not the relation of the AU. Sudan has accused the Emirates; it is up to Sudan to supply this evidence,” helium said.

The overseas curate of Djibouti was elected caput of the pan-African organisation successful February, inheriting aggregate conflicts and a grounds of ineffectual statements.

Among the apical of his priorities coming into the station was the Sudan civilian war, which has efficaciously cleaved the state successful two.

Both sides person been accused of committing warfare crimes.

In caller days, drone attacks attributed by the service to the RSF person increased, marking a turning constituent successful the two-year conflict.

Drone attacks person besides notably targeted strategical sites successful Port Sudan, the impermanent spot of authorities and the logistical humanitarian epicentre.

In February, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged a halt to the “flow of arms” into Sudan.