RSF Kills 18 Civilians in Sudan’s North Kordofan, Rights Group Says

RSF forces seen in North Kordofan state, file photo

August 9, 2025 (EL-OBEID) – At least 18 civilians were killed and dozens injured in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Kordofan state, a Sudanese rights group said on Saturday, as a local official reported the number of displaced people in the state capital had swelled to 700,000.

The Emergency Lawyers, a pro-democracy group that documents atrocities, said in a statement that RSF fighters on Thursday attacked the villages of Markaz al-Ziyadiyah and Lamina al-Ziyadiyah. The group noted the area had no government army presence, “leaving civilians in a direct confrontation with the attacking force.”

The statement accused the attackers of widespread violations, including looting property and kidnapping dozens of youths.

The violence has fueled a spiraling humanitarian crisis in the region. North Kordofan’s Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Mohamed Ismail, told Sudan Tribune that RSF attacks on villages west of the state capital, El-Obeid, had displaced 5,000 families in the last week alone.

This influx has pushed the total number of displaced people sheltering in El-Obeid to approximately 700,000, Ismail said. He added that 70% are being hosted in private homes, creating “extremely complex conditions” that hinder aid delivery and efforts to combat diseases like cholera.

The RSF has escalated its attacks on villages across North and West Kordofan since June, a move seen as a strategy to disrupt army advances and tighten its siege on El-Obeid, a key city that the army controls. Ismail stated that the RSF had forcibly cleared residents from 42 villages in one area west of the capital.