Sudanese govt says 433 killed in attacks by paramilitary forces

KHARTOUM -- Sudan's government on Tuesday said that 433 civilians were killed in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on villages in White Nile State.

"After the RSF militia realized its crushing defeat and its inability to face (fight against) the armed forces, it resorted to its usual method of revenge against unarmed civilians in villages and small towns," Sudan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"In the past few days, the militia carried out a horrific massacre in the villages around the al-Gitaina area in White Nile State, with the death toll currently standing at 433, including infants," the ministry added.

It called on the international community to take a firm stance against the RSF's "crimes" against civilians, nothing, "This massacre reaffirms that the militia's war is against the entire Sudanese people."

While the RSF has not yet commented on the incidents, the Sudanese Emergency Lawyers, a non-governmental organization, reported multiple attacks over the past three days in three villages, including Al-Kadaris, Al-Khalwat, and Wad Bilal, all located near al-Gitaina, about 100 km south of Khartoum.

"These attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 200 people, including women and children, with hundreds injured and missing," the group said in a statement.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which claimed more than 29,680 lives, according to the latest estimates by international organizations.