Jakarta (ANTARA) – The conflict in Sudan has attracted global attention after more than 2,000 people were killed in a short time in El Fasher, North Darfur province, Sudan.
The incident occurred just 48 hours after the city was completely taken by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 26 October.
Meanwhile, more than 390,000 residents have been forced to flee, pro-government Sudan Liberation Army spokesman Agad bin Kony told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
According to the Daily Mail, the total death toll could not be immediately confirmed, but satellite images taken after the attack showed evidence of mass killings with pools of blood and piles of bodies visible from space.
The war currently involving Sudan has its roots in the power struggle between two military forces in the African country, namely the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF paramilitary forces.
The SAF is led by military commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, while the RSF is commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
Read also: UN urges temporary cessation of conflict in Sudan for the good of humanity
RSF was founded in 2013 by former president Omar al-Bashir, who was deposed in 2019 to quell the uprising at home. These forces have their roots in the Janjaweed militia, which was accused of war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the early 2000s.
Over time, the RSF has developed into a major military force, rivaling even Sudan’s official army, the SAF. Tensions between the two intensified when Sudan’s transitional government planned to integrate the RSF into the SAF as part of a deal towards civilian rule by the end of 2022.
Hemedti however rejected the plan for fear of losing his army’s power and autonomy. The dispute escalated into open warfare between the SAF and RSF on 15 April 2023, which broke out in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Then within a few days the fighting spread to other cities such as Darfur, Kordofan and other regions.
Since the fighting broke out, it has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more. The bloody El Fasher incident is the latest culmination of the two-year conflict between the RSF and SAF, which has plunged Sudan further into a humanitarian crisis.
Read also: Sudanese troops regain control of the presidential palace in Khartoum
Read also: The United Nations humanitarian agency is concerned about the escalation of the conflict in Sudan
Reporter: Melusa Susthira Khalida
Publisher: Suryanto
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