Eight civilians were killed following an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on villages in Al-Jazirah State, central Sudan, activists have said. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that approximately 350 families have been displaced.
The Rufa’ah Resistance Committees stated that the “Rapid Support Forces continued their crimes in the village of Safita Al-Ghanoumab, east of Al-Jazirah, leading to the death of eight martyrs and numerous injuries.”
They confirmed that the RSF “shelled the villages of Al-Suqei’a and Safita in the state, attempting to enter both.”
In a separate statement, the IOM revealed that “350 families were displaced from several villages in eastern Al-Jazirah State due to security concerns and ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF.”
On Tuesday, the Rufa’a Resistance Committees reported the deaths of 25 civilians and several injuries following attacks carried out by the RSF.
READ: 46 civilians killed, 44 injured in fighting between RSF and army over 48 hours in Sudan
These developments in Al Jazirah come just days after Abuagla Keikal, a senior RSF commander, announced his defection along with his forces to the Sudanese army.
The eastern regions of Al-Jazirah are Keikal’s homeland and the social base of his forces, which have now turned against the RSF and joined the army.
In December 2023, the RSF, led by Keikal, had taken control of several cities in Al-Jazirah, including Wad Madani, the state capital, located just south of Khartoum.