28 Civilians Killed in Attack in North Darfur, Sudan

Xinhua News Agency, Cairo, February 24 (Reporter Zhang Meng) Khartoum news: According to Sudanese civil organizations on the 24th, the town of Mustarihah in North Darfur State was attacked by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on the 23rd, resulting in the deaths of 28 civilians and injuries to another 39.

The civil organization "Emergency Lawyers Initiative" stated in a statement that the Rapid Support Forces first bombed multiple civilian facilities in Mustarihah, including the health center, market, and residential houses, using drones, and then launched a comprehensive ground assault on the town, causing civilian casualties, destruction of homes, and triggering panic in the local population, forcing many people to flee.

The civil organization "Sudan Doctors Network" reported that the attack by the Rapid Support Forces resulted in the destruction of the only health center in Mustarihah, with several medical personnel attacked and one person abducted. The organization condemned this large-scale attack as a blatant violation of humanitarian law and called for urgent protection of civilians and accountability for the perpetrators.

The Rapid Support Forces have not yet responded to the above statement.

Mustarihah is the stronghold of Musa Sirah, a leader of a branch of the Rizegat tribe, from which many senior members of the Rapid Support Forces, led by Dagalo, originate. After the outbreak of the armed conflict in Sudan, Musa Sirah publicly expressed support for the Sudanese Armed Forces.

On April 15, 2023, armed conflict broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the capital Khartoum, and the fighting subsequently spread to other regions. The ongoing armed conflict, lasting nearly three years, has resulted in a large number of civilian deaths.